From polethiopia@yahoo.com Thu Feb 3 12:46:00 2005 From: polethiopia@yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 04:46:00 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050203124601.96818.qmail@web53301.mail.yahoo.com> February 1, 2005 Oppositions boycott electoral debate on urban development by Shimelis Meressa ADDIS ABABA - The electoral debate on urban development that was scheduled to be held among four political parties last Sunday failed to take place due to the boycotting of two political parties on the allegation of supporters prohibition to enter the conference hall. The debate which was organized by Inter-Africa Group was due to be held among the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Ethiopian Pan Africanist Party (EPAP), Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and Coalition of Ethiopian Democratic Forces (CEFG) but disrupted because of the last two parties' (CUD and CEDF) and the organizers difference on how to let supports of parties to the conference hall. CUD representatives told the gathering that their party has no intention of dealing with the programme in the absence of its crowds, which they said is a violation of human rights. Accordingly, they walked out of the debate at the onset. CEDF representative Dr. Beyene Petros on his part said that in spite of his party's agreement on the procedure that only allows 10 supporters of each party, his party doesn't want to deal with the debate because the organizers didn't stick to the agreement. In addition, Dr. Beyene said the change in the procedure must have been announced to the general public through the mass media live on TV and radio. Representing EPRDF, Minister of Federal Affairs Abay Tsehaye indicated that if the parties' intention is to reach the general public by coming up with new sound policies to get supporters, the procedure limiting the number of attendants in a conference hall is genuine. However, if the intention is to get many supporters, the crowds' clap through emotion and irrelevant noises while the debate is in progress, is undemocratic, he added. He said that Inter Africa's procedure is not against democratic order and the public could not lose any human right if the debate is held among the political parties according to the scheduled programme with few supporters of each party because it is customary in all other developed country's too. EPAP representatives on their part said that their party is willing to undertake the debate and use every possible opportunities of this kind to reach in to its supporters. They said it is wise enough to be tolerant if democracy and good governance are to flourish in this country. Inter Africa Group representatives on their part said that they came up with the current decision based on their past experiences. They said the undemocratic ways of supporter's behaviors like clapping hands, producing hissing sounds and murmuring while the parties elaborate on their policies and strategies to all Ethiopians forced them to change the order. According to the organizers, the debate is not meant only for few Addis Ababa's who get the chance of attending the debate in the conference centre but also to the whole Ethiopians who eagerly wait them through TV and radio. The organizers told the gathering that they have tried their level best to convince these parties especially CUD to select ten of its supporters but it refused they said. They also indicated that they are ready to discuss on the procedures before similar debates take place. Finally, the organizers and the parties reached agreement to undertake the debate on urban development some other time. U.S. Ambassador pledges enhanced support in food security endeavours ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Aurelia E. Brazeal has pledged the readiness of her government to further its support in the food security endeavours in Ethiopia. Ambassador Brazeal made the pledge after visiting the Chewaka voluntary resettlement site in Bedele Woreda, Illubabor Zone of the Oromia State. She visited the infrastructure facilities at the resettlement site including schools and health institutions. She said the U.S. Government would enhance its support in the activities the Ethiopian Government has launched to ensure food security. She said the various crops the farmers have managed to harvest is indicative of the success of the programme in moving people from drought-prone areas to fertile ones. Chief of the Oromia State Juneidi Sado on its part said the resettlement programme implementation was paying off. The resettles presented Brazeal and Juneidi with honey they harvested for the first time at their new homes. Chewaka resettlement site houses nearly 80,000 resettles who had moved from drought-phone areas of East Hararghe and Arsi zones. Sudan electricity exportation study underway ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) announced a model agreement study is being conducted to export electricity to the Sudan. The power line to be installed from Ethiopia to the Sudan is expected to stretch 450 kilometres, Corporation General Manager Mihret Debebe told ENA. The project is part of the Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Programme (ENSAP) of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), he added. Project Manager Tesfaye Batu on his part said that the project would be extended upto Egypt. Most of the Nile riparian countries will import their hydroelectric generation capacity from Ethiopia. Ethiopia is exerting maximum efforts to translate the study into practice, he added. The on-going study is aimed at renewing and strengthening an earlier agreement reached between the two countries ten years back, he said. EEPCo and the counterpart organization in the Sudan will conduct the study on their own expenses. The World Bank has pledged to provide the fund required for the implementation of the project when the study is completed, he added. A similar project is in progress in Djibouti for whose implementation the African Development Bank has agreed to provide 60 million US dollars. The Ethio-Sudan electricity export agreement study is expected to be completed within the coming few months. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding providing for the exportation of electricity for the second time in 2001. EPRDF Electoral Committee criticizes CUD walk out ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Electoral Committee of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) said that failure on the part of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) to participate in last Sunday's debate shows that the coalition does not have any alternative political, economic and social programmes to present to the electorate. The Committee said that the representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate because they have not had an alternative programme me and they could not challenge the programme of the EPRDF, which it said, is on the right track of change. In a statement it sent to ENA yesterday, the Committee said that the representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate under the pretext of the prohibition of 100 people from entering the venue. Pointing out that it is only through heavy sacrifices that such an opportunity is created both in the country and three parts of the world, the Committee said that any political party, which claims to pay sacrifices for democracy, should strive to benefit from this very political forum (debate). The representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate with no adequate reasons, it said. The members of the Coalition had reached at a decision to notify that they may boycott the national elections, even at the polling day while at the same time they kept on claiming to win in the elections, it said. The Committee would be obliged to question whether the aim of the opposition party is tarnishing the process of elections fearing that defeat is inevitable for them. Pointing out that EPRDF is doing its level best to make the upcoming national elections free and fair the Committee said that it has offered training on the election to all its members on its election code of conduct. The amended electoral law, early launching of election campaigns and fair use of the mass media by political parties to campaign serve as testimonies that the Front is committed to make the elections democratic. Earlier, the debate organizers said, there had been an agreement among the parties involved to limit attendance to ten supporters each. February 2, 2005 Democracy in Ethiopia steadily evolving as nation prepares for third national elections: Meles ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says that the ruling party EPRDF will work together with opposition parties and the international community to have a successful democratic elections. Voting of the third democratic elections in the country is scheduled to b held in May, except the Somali State, where voting will take place in August this year. Meles, who is Commissioner of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Commission for Africa and Co-Chair of the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA), said democracy in Ethiopia said democracy in Ethiopia has been steadily evolving in the right direction. "Obviously, democracy in Ethiopia, as on the rest of the continent, is a work in progress," Meles told All Africa's Reed Kramer in an interview during GCA forum held just recently here in Addis Ababa - the AU Headquarter and seat of some important international organization. Describing the system of democracy in Ethiopia as one "very recognizable", Meles said, "We have over sixty opposition political parties and most of them have so far indicated that they want to participate. Over the past two to three months, we've had intensive debates through the public media on issues of concern to the Ethiopian electorate…" which he hoped will continue right up to the polling-day. Asked if opponents have a case in alleging lack of access to the media, Meles pointed our that over 80 magazines and newspapers are in circulation in Ethiopia, most of them, he said, espousing the ideals of the opposition parties, and which the ruling party does not control access to. "As far as the public media is concerned, every Sunday for several hours, we have had debates about the issues that the electorate is concerned about." Moreover, for the election process, the Ministry of Information has allocated air time and newspaper space to the parties, he said. EPRDF, which has well over 85 per cent of seats in Parliament, has been given 44 per cent of airtime, and the opposition parties, with less than 12 seats taking 56 per cent of the allocated airtime. "If anybody has the right to complain, it would be the ruling party," Meles said. In justification to the recent call he made for quadrupled aid to Ethiopia by donors, Meles said an independent study by a respected international body has identified Ethiopia as being able to use additional resources effectively, citing a World Bank Study which puts Ethiopia in the list of ten countries that can effectively use additional development assistance. "Ethiopia is getting, in per capita terms, half of the average aid [received by] sub-Saharan African countries… The fact that we get half as much as the average African countries seems to indicate that we need to get more," Meles told All Africa.com.. If it came, the priorities for that aid would be infrastructure and rural development, he indicated. Asked to evaluate the profress of the campaign against HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, Meles said it was encouraging that the infection rates have stabilized, but there was recognition of the need to be more aggressive. "We unveiled a more aggressive, more comprehensive strategy of tackling HIV/AIDS, which includes provision of anti-retroviral, provision of voluntary (counseling and testing) in combination with preventive work. On the whole, I am encouraged, but I also recognize that we face a very serious challenge and we have to preempt it." He said Ethiopia is working in concert with the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which he described as most helpful. The United States has also been very helpful, and many of our other development partners have chipped in too." Responding to a question on the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Prime Minister Meles said, "…the dispute is not a border dispute alone… Eritrea has been independent de facto since 1991, and dejure since 1993. Between 1991 and 1997, we had excellent relations with Eritrea, despite the fact that we did not have a boundary that was formally demarcated." "…If we are looking at the possibilities of sustainable peace, we have to address the border issue. But we have to go beyond the border issue and address the root cause of the conflict, and this has to do with the economic, political, and social ties between the two countries." "What we have suggested is to do both: address the border issue and also address the root causes of the conflict through normalization between the two countries. Dialogue on both." In the five-point peace proposal, Ethiopia has expressed acceptance "in principle" of the boundary commission's decision, for it is legally binding. "However, when you go from delimitation to demarcation, the normal process is that you make adjustments. There is no border on earth that has been demarcated without adjustments to the delimitation decision. There are technical reasons for it. You have to have line of sight does not follow the map of the delimitation decision. "There are also political reasons for adjustments, and these political reasons for adjustments are recognized by the boundary commission itself." Meles quoted the boundary commission as saying that there were "anomalies and impracticalities" in the decisions. Asked to address the anomalies and impracticalities, the boundary commission said it does not have a mandate, and that if it was given the mandate, it would address them. "We are saying let's talk, so we can address these impracticalities and anomalies and can then have a real, lasting demarcation of the boundary. That's why we need dialogue on both normalization and implementation of the boundary commission decision," Meles said. Asked to respond to the allegation that too much money is spent on the military, and not enough for development, Meles countered by recalling that Ethiopia, after the war with Eritrea had ended, demobilized unilaterally. "… In the first year, we cut our defense budget by half. Since then, in absolute terms, it has been going down continuously, and that's recognized by the international community." Meles said, "Obviously, we would like to reduce the defense expenditure to as close to zero as possible. But, that is going to take some time, because we live next door… to Eritrea… We cannot unilaterally disarm. The first time we tried that, before 1998, we paid for it." Concerning the cooperation between Ethiopia and the U.S., Meles described the relations as excellent for many years, particularly the past four years, and that they are still very good. "We are confident that they will continue to be as excellent as they have been in the past. OFDM set to changing parliamentary system NEKEMPTE (WIC) - The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) Sunday announced that it would change the prevailing parliamentary system to a presidential one should it win the upcoming elections. Speaking at a conference called by the Movement to introduce its programme to the inhabitants of Nekempte town, Bulcha Demekessa, Chairman of the Movement said his party will introduce a presidential order where the president is elected directly by the people by changing the constitution. The chairman, who opposes the parliamentary system for failing to ensure power to the Oromo people, argued that a presidential order would guarantee power to the Oromo people, as they are the majority in the country. He also described the existing federal system as a tutelary one for it has obstructed the people from governing themselves. Bulcha vowed to scrap it and introduce genuine federal system to the country should his party win the election. The chairman further said the Oromo language would be made a lingua franca, adding that land should be owned by the public and not by the government; thus promising to introduce private ownership of land. Bulcha argued that the Oromo, the South, Benshangul-Gumuz, Gambella and Somali people are the most exploited and marginalized in Ethiopian; and called upon them to actively participate in the upcoming elections so as to peacefully remove the successive oppressive governments. AU Assembly decides to hold Mid-term Assembly in Addis, adopts resolutions ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in Abuja has decided to hold its Mid-term Assembly every year in January in Addis Ababa. The Summit concluded adopting number of resolutions. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi returned home later on Monday after attending the two-day 4th AU Summit. According to the resolution, the January sessions of the Assembly will be held in the last week of January at the AU Headquarters, Addis Ababa, during which the Chairperson of the Assembly will be elected. The Assembly recalls its previous decision in July 2004 in Addis Ababa on the convening of two ordinary sessions of the Assembly every year, which previously was an annual event. It approves that Libya will host the Summit in July 2005. Ethiopia will be hosting the January sessions all the years from 2007 to 2010. The Assembly in July 2006 will be held in Gambia, followed by Ghana, Angola, Madagascar and Egypt in the subsequent years until 2010. It decides that the January Session could be convened, on an exceptional basis, outside the Headquarters, by a decision of the Assembly upon the recommendation of the Commission. "However, such hosting shall not be linked to the Chairmanship of the Union." It decides also to extend the term of office of the Chairperson and the Bureau of the Assembly from July 2005 to January 2006. Concerning the location of AU institutions, the Assembly decides that the African Central Bank shall be located in Western Region, African Investment Bank in Northern Region, African Monetary Fund in Central Region and Court of Justice in Eastern Region. It recalls its previous decision that the Pan African Parliament shall be located in South Africa. The Assembly concluded its deliberations after adopting passing resolutions on Somalia, the Sudan and Conflicts in other parts of the continent. Britain pledges support for peace proposal realization ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - A senior official of the British Government has pledged his country's support for implementation of the five point peace proposal put forward by Ethiopia to resolve the dispute with Eritrea. Italian Undersecretary for the Foreign Affairs also announced that the transportation of the Axum Obelisk will begin early in March. During talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Abuja, Nigeria, Britain's Minister for Africa Chris Mulin said Ethiopia's peace proposal is vital to resolve the border dispute peacefully. The British Government will extend support in the efforts to realize the peace proposal, which has been welcomed by Britain and the international community, Mulin said. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Minister Mulin discussed the cooperation between Ethiopia and Britain as well as international issues. Meanwhile, Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Sen. Alfredo Luigi Mantica has confirmed that transporting of the Axum Obelisk to Ethiopia will begin early in March. During talks with Prime Minister Meles in Abuja, the handing over of the Obelisk will be conducted in line with the pledge made by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the slated timetable. The transportation of the Obelisk will be concluded in three phases, he said, adding the return of the Obelisk to its rightful owners, the peoples of Ethiopia, will be significant to further enhancing the cooperation between Italy and Ethiopia. An Italian high-level trade and investment delegation led by Italian Trade Minister is scheduled to pay a working visit to Ethiopia soon, according to sen. Mantica. The visit is believed to bolster the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of trade and investment, he said. The visit is believed to bolster the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of trade and investment, he said. The visit comes in response to understanding reached with Italian investors during the recent visit by Ethiopian delegation led by Prime Minister Meles to Italy, the Senator said. The visit by Prime Minister Meles to Rome contributed significantly to the upgrading of the cooperation between the two countries, senior government officials of Ethiopia who attended the talks said. ================================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.3,2004 ========================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia@yahoo.com Tue Feb 15 08:39:56 2005 From: polethiopia@yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 00:39:56 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050215083956.89300.qmail@web53304.mail.yahoo.com> February 13, 2005 EPRDF Council says all-out effort exerted to ensure food security ADDIS ABABA (ENA) The council of the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary and Democratic Front (EPRDF) said that its members at all levels have been exerting all-out effort to ensure security in the next two year. During its two day 3rd regular session opened at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday the Council pointed that encouraging results have been achieved in increasing crop production. The Council reviewed agricultural and rural development activities undertaken over last six month. The Council also assessed results achieved to ensuring food security at household level within 3-5 years were encouraging. The Council also urged that activities that should be undertaken during the main and small rainy (Belg and Meher) seasons need to be strengthened to achieve better results. Stressing the need for the early supply of agricultural inputs and the assignment of professionals, the Council adopted the six-month performance report on agricultural and rural development activities. The Council has also decided that achievements gained in capacity building, trade and industry sectors should be further strengthened, its spokesperson said. The Council had reviewed activities undertaken in rural development, capacity building, and trade and industry sectors over the last six months. Regarding capacity building, the council called upon farmers to actively involve in efforts under way to strengthen farmer's cooperatives. It also said efforts being exerted by the EPRDF in collaboration with the society have registered encouraging results in the education sector. The education coverage in states administrated by the EPRDF has reached period. Concerning investment and trade, the Council assessed that the volume of export during the last six months surpassed that of last year same period by 33 per cent. It said 48,000 citizens also got access to education while 31,417 existing and new small-scale and micro-business have been strengthened. The council said a sum of 72 million birr loan was given to those people who have got access to employment opportunity. I would also discuss reports on good governance and subsidy being provided to relatively developing states and other activities undertaken over the last six months among others. Bob Marley Foundation to build health facility in Shashemene SHASHEMENE (ENA) - The Bbd Marley Foundation announced that it will build a health facility at a cost of 50,000 USD in Shashemene town, 250 kms south of Addis Ababa. The announcement was made by foundation Representative given Forman in speech he delivered at the celebration yesterday of the 60th Birthday Anniversary of Rage King Bob Marley in Shashemne town. The health facility, which will well be equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment, will give health care service to the townspeople, Forman said. He said the Foundation has also planned to undertake other development activities in the town in the future and urged the town administration to extend support for the realization of its plan. He also called upon the Foundation to engage in other development activities in the town and other parts of Oromia. Demisse said Jamaicans could invest in the woreda where 68,000 hectares of land is designated as industrial Zone. He said the twon adminstration named a football field in the towna fter Bob Marley. the towns people accorded warm welcome to Bob's wife Rita Marley and her sons upon arrival in the town three days ago. ================ pol.Ethiopia Feb.15, 2005 ================ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia@yahoo.com Wed Feb 16 13:49:32 2005 From: polethiopia@yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 05:49:32 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] SCEM@haven.eyrie.org Message-ID: <20050216134932.12329.qmail@web53306.mail.yahoo.com> February 15, 2005 Ethiopian Massively mobilizing domestic resources to achieve MDCs: Meles ADDIS ABABA )ENA) - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says that the country is engaged in a massive effort to effectively mobilize domestic resources with a view to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Opened the partnership Forum on the Second Annual Progress Report of Ethiopia's Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Programme (SDPRD) yesterday, Meles said: "We are aware that the build of the resources required to achieve the MDGs have to be domestic," said. "While we hope that there will be a steep change in both the quantity and quality of the development assistance we get, the key to achieving the MDGs is going to be effective mobilization and utilization of labour resources for development activities, particularly in the rural areas, Meles said. Meles said availability of resources and weak implementation capacity were the two most important challenges Ethiopia has been facing in the efforts to scale-up sustainable development and poverty reduction programmes. There has been improvement in the implementation of the SDPRD during the second year of implantation, Meles said, adding, preliminary indications of the third year of implementation also suggest that these board based improvements have continued. Indeed, Meles added, unless we can overcome the bottlenecks that we have encountered and massively scale-up our programmes, it will be difficult to sustain the good results of the past year or two. With regard to utilization of resources, Meles aid Ethiopia has been identified by the World Bank and the UN MDG team as one of the countries, which can adequately use increased resources flows. Nevertheless, the PM said, "At the moment, Ethiopia gets about half the per capita average in Africa in terms of resource flows and can clearly absorb significantly more than the current Sub-Saharan Africa average. Meles was optimistic that there would be a vertical increase of development assistance to Ethiopia both in quantity and quality. According to Meles, increased external resource flows would limit the pressure on domestic resource mobilization. State Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mekonen Manyazewal said on the occasion that the government has embarked on an aggressive programme to accelerate progress in the areas of education, health, expanding infrastructure, building institutions as well as developing government. He expressed belief that the two-day forum would dwell on achievements, challenges and prospects in the implementation of the SDORP. Development Assistance Group (DAG) Co-Chair, Modibo Toure on the occasion commended Ethiopia for the effort being exerted towards bringing about sustainable development and reduce poverty. "We need to recognize important achievements made during the past year including the 11.6 per cent growth, increases in pro-poor spending in areas such as food security, health and education," Toure said. EPRDF calls upon public to struggle against tendencies affecting electoral process ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - the council of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has called upon the public to persistently struggle against tendencies that would adversely affect the smooth conduct of the May 2005 national elections. The Council made the call in a statement it issued late Sunday while concluding its 3rd Regular Meeting. The statement said that various activities have been carried out over the past six months with a view to holding the national elections in a fair and democratic manner acceptable by the Ethiopian people and the international community as well. The electoral debates with opposition political parties on the basis of the principle of free and equal footing, and efforts made to amend the electoral law upon the demand of opposition political parties have contributed a great deal to making the electoral process democratic, the statement said. Activities carried out for the judicious utilization of the mass media in the election campaign, facilitating the entrance of international observers and the adoption of electoral guideline to build the captivity of members were all successful, according to the statement. Women account 32 per cent of the 499 candidates EPRDF fielded to run for seats in the house of Peoples' Representatives, and 43 per cent of the 1,467 candidates vying for seats in state council seats, the statements said. This was achieved thanks to the implementation of the directions it put in place in terms of gender equity and fairness, the statement said. The council urged administrative bodies at all level and the public at large to exert maximum efforts to consolidate the encouraging achievements in all directions. The statement said the Council also conducted a thorough performance appraisal in the areas of rural development, capacity building, trade, industry and investment as well as organizational and public relations activities carried out in the first half of the budget year. The Council has confirmed that most of the set plans have attained the desired goals during the reported period, and called for strengthening of the achievements gained in the agriculture sector since the last two years. Regarding capacity building, the council called upon farmers to actively involve in efforts underway to strengthen cooperatives. It had also reviewed that efforts launched by the EPRDF in collaboration with the public have registered encouraging results in the education sector, the statement said, adding that education coverage has reached 85.96 per cent in those states being administered by EPRDF. Concerning investment and trade, the Council assessed that the volume of export during the last six months had surpassed that of last year same period by 33 per cent, the statement said. The Council further indicated that 72 million birr loan was given to those people who have got access to employment opportunity. ================== pol.ethiopia FEbruary 16, 2005 ========================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? All your favorites on one personal page – Try My Yahoo! http://my.yahoo.com From polethiopia@yahoo.com Thu Feb 17 11:44:31 2005 From: polethiopia@yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 03:44:31 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050217114432.2625.qmail@web53302.mail.yahoo.com> February 16, 2005 AACC says preparations finalized for 9th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce (AACC) said it has finalized preparations for the 9th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair to be staged from 17-23 February, 2005 in Addis Ababa. At a press conference held yesterday, Members of AACC management said some 133 local and 31 international organizations are expected to take part in the trade fair. All foreign participants have already arrived in Addis Ababa, they, added. Vice President of the AACC, Eyasu-Work Zafu, Acting Secretary Haile Meskel Abebe and trade fair project coordinator Tamirat Admasu said the event would contribute much to the country's effort to alleviate poverty. Members of AACC management said that different governmental organizations have contributed a lot to make the trade fair a success. The number of local and international organizations that participate in the trade fair has been increasing from time to time, they said. Concerning participation of state governments in the trade fair, they said Tigray and Amhara states would participate for the second time, while the Benshangul-Gumuz and the Southern Nations, nationalities and peoples State will take part in this year's trade fair for the first time. According to management members of AACC, the trade fair would serve as a forum to attract foreign investment by introducing investment opportunities in the country. The trade fair would also create an opportunity for local businessmen to jointly work with foreign investors in the future, they added. Similarly, "AGRIFEX Ethiopia 2005", the first specialized international trade fir in agriculture is expected to be staged in Addis Ababa from June 2-6, 2005. Ethiopian Tourist attractions promotion event held in Austria ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Some Ethiopia's trourist attractions have recently been displayed on a Torurism and Trade Fair organized in Salzburg city, Austria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The Ministry told ENA yesterday that Ethiopian coffee ceremony has been displayed on the three-day fair, which began on February 11, 2005. The briefing made on the unique features of Ethiopian coffee ceremony was also transmitted live on the Salzburg Radio. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony will also be broadcast on Salzburg ORF Television, the Ministry added, The Ministry said other tourist's attractions were also displayed on the fair, adding that the vent has created the opportunity to promote tourist attractions and the good images of the country. The fair was jointly organized by the Ethiopian Embassy in Vienna and an Austrian travel company called GE RIESEN. February 17, 2005 Partnership Forum concludes making recommendations ADDIS ABABA - The two-day partnership Forum on Ethiopia's Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction programme Annual Process report 2003/04 ended Tuesday making various recommendations, according a joint press release the UNDP faxed to the Herald. The recommendation include adding emphasis on promotion of growth that includes the expansion of rural land certification support for market development and investments in rural infrastructure and small towns; consolidate the progress made in access to education by giving due attention to quality issues and completion rates as well as measure to address gender regional disparities. Opening the forum Monday, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said: "While we hope that there will be a steep change in both the quantity and quality of the development assistance we get, the key to achieving the MDGs is going to be the effective mobilization and industrialization of labour resources for development activities, particularly in the rural areas." Party, independent candidates receive IDs ADDIS ABABA (WIC/ENA)- The East Wollega Zone electoral Board Office announced that 11 contestants running for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Council in Nekempte constituency had collected candidature IDs. In addition, IDs were issued to two other independent candidates that solicited the required number of signatures to quality for the contest, he said. Meanwhile, the Oromia Women's Association has called upon women to elect those candidates who promote women's causes. Association's chairperson, Amsale Hunde stressed the need that women should elect those who can struggle for gender equity and ensure women's rights as well as free them from economic dependency. Amsale pointed out that the Association has launched an agitation campaign to enable women to actively participate in the election. Meanwhile, some 78 political party and independent candidates received their symbols, to compete in the May 2005 national elections in Eastern Zone of Tigray State, the zonal election office said. Office Coordinator, Meckonnon Reda said the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the United Ethiopian Democratic Unity party - MEDHIN (EUDP-MEDHIN), The All Ethiopian Unity party (AEUP), Rainbow Ethiopia; Movement for Democracy and Social Justice, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) and three independent candidates received their respective symbols in eight constituencies in the zone. TPLF fielded eight candidates to run for the House of Peoples' Representatives and 32 for the State Council, while UEDP-MEDHIN fielded on for the House of Peoples' Representatives and six for the State Council, the coordinator said. He further said UEDF staged six for the House of Peoples' Representatives and 18 for the State Council while AEUD fielded one candidate to run for the House of Peoples' Representatives and two for the State Council. Meanwhile, candidates representing ten political parties have been fielded in 21 constituencies in Arsi zone of Oromia State, coordinator of the zonal constituency said. Ahmed Abdulahi said Tuesday that 674 political party candidates and ten independent candidates would run for seats in the House of Peoples; representatives, while 112 political party and independent candidates would contest for scats in the State Council. He said the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), the All Ethiopian Unity Party(AEUP), the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), the Oromo Liberation national Party (OLNP), the Geda System Advancement Party (GSAP), the Oromo Liberation Unity Front (OLUF) the All Amhara People's Organization (AAPO), EDUP, the All Ethiopian Democratic Party (AEDP) and the Oromo National Congress (ONL) were the parties contending in the zone. ======================= Pol.Ethiopia Feb.17,2005 ================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Easier than ever with enhanced search. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia@yahoo.com Tue Feb 22 12:53:40 2005 From: polethiopia@yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 04:53:40 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Itmes Message-ID: <20050222125340.74582.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> February 22, 2005 Experts discuss regional power pool establishment ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Utility and ministry experts from nine African countries began a two-day deliberations here yesterday on the establishment of the Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP). EAPP will be established by electric power corporations (companies) of Ethiopia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and Egypt. Ethiopian State Minister of Infrastructure Haile Assegide told the opening of the meeting that Sub-Saharan Africa in general and Eastern Africa in particular are far behind the rest of the world in terms of infrastructure development and access to electricity and per capita consumption is below the world average. Haile says: "In most countries, the rural population has little or no access to electricity. Ethiopia is no exception. One cannot think of eradicating poverty in the rural area without tackling the issue of rural infrastructure services. Supply of electricity to the rural poor is one of the most important instruments to poverty reduction." He indicated the need to cooperate at regional level and strengthen efforts to optimize the abundant energy potential and maximize output in a bid to fuel the economic development of the region and reduce poverty. He said establishment of EAPP also goes in line with the Mission and objectives of the African Union and NEPAD. Ethiopia has proposed to host the EAPP permanent secretariat. General Manager of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation Mihret Debebe said on his part, that the series of meetings this week by the utility and ministry experts as well as the CEO's and ministers of energy of the respective countries would hopefully culminate in formalizing the establishment of EAPP and setting up of statutory bodies. The Union of Producers, Transporters and Distributors of Electric Power in Africa (UPDEA) has been playing the role of coordination and leadership in the process of the establishment of EAPP. Support in the effort to realize what Mihret described as "important step in the economic integration of the region" came also from the UNECA, the AU and other development partners. "…The establishment of the power pool is not an end in itself," says Mihret. "If the power pool has to function properly, the member utilities have to continue their active participation demonstrated during the establishment phase. The power pool shall function smoothly only through participation of its members." "All regions of the continent except Eastern Africa by now have established there power pools. The next logical stage therefore is to integrate the sub regional power pools to create African Power Pool. East Africa should not be the missing link. We have to make EAPP a reality." The experts are expected to finalize and submit the draft Inter Governmental Memorandum of Understanding to the pertinent Ministers on Thursday for review and signature. Ethiopia aggressively working to implement UNCCD Experience-sharing workshop underway ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopia has been aggressively working towards implementing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which it ratifies in June 1997, Director General of the Environmental Protection Authority said. Ethiopia was in the process of updating the mainstreaming the national action plan into the sustainable development and poverty reduction programme to implement the Convention, Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre-Egziabher said. Dr. Tewolde Berhan was speaking at a sub-regional workshop opened here yesterday to exchange experiences on the context of national reports on the implementation of UNCCD. Ethiopia was also implementing strategies and laws it adopted towards the UNCCD which included among others, environmental policy, conservation strategy, rural development policy and strategy, sustainable development and poverty reduction programme and food security programme, he said. He said devolution of power to district levels, which he said promotes the proper management of renewable environmental resources, was also being implemented successfully. A total of 48 national reports and five sub-regional reports have been submitted to the UNCCD Secretariat, Ambassador Hama Arba Diallo told workshop participants. He said: "The national reports once again manifest that the road to the implementation of the Convention has been very long and a difficult undertaking". "The issues the countries have had to tackle in the process were many and often crosscutting." "… It has been exhibited that at the centre of it all are much deeper underlying forces of socio-economic nature, such as poverty and the subsequent total dependency on natural resources for subsistence by the poor", he indicated. The three-day workshop is expected to be a platform for reviewing, consolidating and sharing experiences, good practices and lessons learnt while implementing the convention. Some 70 representatives of bilateral and international institutions from Eastern and Southern Africa and other stakeholders are in attendance at the workshop jointly organized by IGAD and SADC Secretariats in collaboration with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Bank and UNCCD. Ministry to build university in Axum AXUM (ENA) - A university with an enrolment capacity of over 10,000 students is to be constructed in Axum town, central Tigray zone, Education Vice Minister, Dr. Teshome Yizengaw said. While receiving 100 hectares of land for the construction of the university from the town administration last Friday, Dr. Teshome said the construction work will begin next month. With an enrollment capacity of over 10,000 students, Dr. Teshome said that the university would be of great significance to the public and students in the town. The construction of the university is expected to be finalized in five years time. Officials from woreda and zonal administrations laid the cornerstone with the Vice Minister. =============================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.22,2005 ======================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com From polethiopia@yahoo.com Thu Feb 24 12:55:45 2005 From: polethiopia@yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 04:55:45 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050224125545.86899.qmail@web53307.mail.yahoo.com> February 23, 2005 Ethiopia, Qatar sign technical, economic cooperation accord Meles meets Qatari businesspersons ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopia and Qatar Monday signed a technical and economic cooperation agreement. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in Doha on an official visit to that Middle Eastern country earlier in the day. During talks with Amir Hamid Bin Kahalifa Eslami in Doha, Prime Minister Meles said the two countries have shown interest to bolster their relations in the areas of trade, investment and tourism. Middle East Affairs Director with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Addis Dilnesa said that although the relations between Ethiopia and Qatar, which commenced in mid 1990s focused on economic and social sectors, it has not brought about the desired results. The Premier's visit to Qatar is believed to cement the relations between the two countries, Addis, who attended the meeting said. The leaders of the two countries conferred on bilateral and other international issues of common interest. The agreement was signed by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin and Qatari First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Bin Jabir Alfani. Meanwhile, Meles has called on Qatari businesspersons to make use of the conducive investment climate prevailing in Ethiopia. Prime Minister Meles told Qatari investors that the Ethiopian Government would provide special support for investors who would engage in selected sectors. Meles, also conferred with members of the country's trade and industry council and investors about trade and investment issues Monday. Foreign investors would benefit if they invest in Ethiopia particularly in agro-industry, leather and leather products as well as in textile sectors, Meles said. There is also a favourable condition for investors who would like to engage in cattle fattening, establishing modern abattoirs, in supplying meat and fodder products, Meles said. The government would provide special incentives for investors who would invest in selected areas of investment, Meles said, adding investors would face no market problem as the country has been given tax and quota free access to the U.S, and European markets. Qatari businesspersons said on the occasion that they would like to visits Ethiopia as their information about the country was very limited, for which Meles said he would make sure that the pertinent ministry arrange an official working visit for Qatari business envoys. Qatar is bordering with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This oil-rich country has a population of eight million with a per capita income of 21,500 dollars. US gov't ready to assist Ethiopian private sector by Yemane Terefe ADDIS ABABA - The United States Ambassador to Ethiopia Aurelia Brazeal said yesterday her government is ready to assist the Ethiopia Private Sector to benefit from the American market. She added that U.S. Ethiopian Commercial relationship is strong and growing. Speaking at the opening of a half-day seminar held at the Hilton Hotel under the title "Doing Business with United States" Ambassador Aurelia Brazeal said that the Government of Ethiopia has made marked progress in a number of important areas, including growth and stability of macroeconomy, education, health, transport and rural land tenures. According to the Ambassador, the US Government supports such reforms, but the effort should continue for further improvement. She added that additional reforms are needed to allow the private sector flourish, and the US looks forward to continuing its partnership with Ethiopian business community and the government for the realization of those reforms. The participants suggested that establishing dialogue between the government and private sector enhances the growth of trade with the aim of capitalizing on opportunities for private sector growth and business expansion. Mr. Addis Alemayehou, AGOA Ethiopia Coordinator, ECA Trade Hub on his part said Ethiopia's export under AGOA to US was 4.8 million USD in 2004 but Kenya did 258 million USD in the same year. According to him, the ECA Trade Hub hired in 2004 an outside consultant to conduct study on AGOA here in Ethiopia and to come up with an AGOS strategy for Ethiopia. The key constraints that consultants came up with why eligible enterprises in Ethiopia cannot take full advantage of AGOA were lack of information on market opportunities in USA, low industrial capacity base, relatively low skilled and trained labour force, lack of proper production management skill and a lot of bureaucratic challenges that hinder benefits from the various government incentives, such as the different lines of credit. Addis indicated that a lot of development works have already taken place in textile garments and apparels sector since 2001. The government of Ethiopia has made some concrete moves towards improving the situation, he said. Representatives of business communities and invited guests were in attendance of the seminar. UNDP, donors grant $1.6 mln. to 24 CSOs for civic, voter education by Shimelis Meressa ADDIS ABABA - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other donors have disclosed that they have awarded 1.6 million USD to 24 organizations that would carry out nationwide civic and voter education in advance of the National Election to be held in the upcoming mid-May 2005. In a joint press briefing by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), donors and UNDP at the UN conference centre yesterday the representatives indicated that the civic and voter education would enhance citizens' knowledge on constitutional electoral rights and responsibilities. Asked about the selection criteria of CSOs and institutions, UNDP, Resident Representative Modibo Toure said that their previous experience in providing civic education, raising public awareness responsiveness to target groups and capacity to plan, organize, implement and report on projects were taken into account. In addition, representatives of the organization, local outreach of networks, relevance of the proposal, coherence of overall design of the proposal and budget and cost-effectives were taken into consideration. Representing NEBE, Chairman of the Board Kemal Bedri has commended UNDP and the donor's support. He said that the process would help the Board open up the election and hold it in a more free and fair manner. It would also enable the international community know better about the democratization process in the country. The chairman has also indicated that the pre-election process has so far been going smoothly and peacefully. The Board has been trying to solve cases that tend to disrupt the democratization process and it would continue doing so. The current assistance to civic and voter education is a major part of the large multi-donor assistance to the 2005 National Elections project supported by many donors, including: Austria, Canada, EC, Finland, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA and UNDP, it was learnt. The donor group is chaired by Sweden and UNDP is doing the facilitating and coordinating role. The total value of the project is over six million USD, information disseminated during the occasion indicated. February 24, 2005 Cuba seeks to strengthen economic, political ties with Ethiopia ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Cuban Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs says that his country was desirous of further strengthening economic and political ties with Ethiopia. During talks with Speaker of the House of the Federation Dr. Mulatu Teshome yesterday, Manuel Aguileria Dela Paz expressed his country's desire to further bolster bilateral ties with Ethiopia. Cuban professionals have been helping human resource development efforts in Ethiopia in various sectors, he said. High profile Cuban physicians have also been providing services in rural Ethiopia, he added. The Summit of the Non-aligned Movement, to which Ethiopia and Cuba are founding members, is scheduled to be held in Havanna, in 2006, the Minister said, adding that the two countries can work together to further strengthen the Movement. House Speaker Dr. Mulatu said on his part that the relations between the two countries should be enhanced in people-to-people ties. He said Ethiopia needs further support from Cuba, particularly in the education sector development, for which Cuban teachers, professors and doctors could play significant role sharing their expertise with Ethiopian counterparts. Moreover, Dr. Mulatu said that Cuban support and experience is sought to promote the sugar industry in Ethiopia. Meanwhile, the Embassy of Cuba in Ethiopia said, the cooperation between the governments of Ethiopia and Cuba in the economic and social sectors have been gathering momentum. In a press statement she gave here yesterday in connection with the visit to Ethiopia of Cuban Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Embassy Counselor Lopa Sanchez Lorenzo said the cooperation between the two countries has bolstered in the areas, mainly of health, education and sports. The counselor said the Cuban Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs met senior officials of the Ethiopian Government during which the two sides assessed implementation of cooperation agreements between the two countries in the economic and social sectors. She said the consultation made ever since the establishment of the Ethio-Cuba Parliamentary Friendship team were successful, adding the two countries will exchange visits this year to further enhance the cooperation between the two countries. Cuba is known for its intervention in the sugar industry construction activities in Ethiopia, she said, adding the delegation led by the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs had discussed with pertinent bodies on ways of expanding sugarcane plantation in Ethiopia. Cuba is desirous to further enhance the cooperation between the two countries particularly in the areas of education, health, sports and culture, she indicated. Not less that 5,000 Ethiopians have studied higher education in various professional streams in Cuba previously, she said, adding 100 Cuban professionals have been providing services in Ethiopia to date. The Cuban delegation led by Vice Minister Manuel AGuileria Dela Paz, which arrived on Monday on a two day visit here for home yesterday. Meles in London to attend 3rd Commission for Africa meeting ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in London yesterday to take part in the 3rd meeting of the Commission for Africa. The meeting to be opened today is expected to finalize a document containing Africa's demands to be submitted to the G8 group. Meles, who is one of the 17 commissioners of Tony Blair's Commission for Africa, headed directly to London after concluding a two-day official visit to Qatar. The Commission was established to find ways to help Africa catch with the pace towards development and prosperity. As current chair of the G8 group and the EU, Britain pledges to make Africa the priority agenda in both the multilateral fronts. The Commission thus sees hope that 2005 provides a fat opportunity to creating the ways to bringing Africa in the track of change. =================================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.24,2005 ========================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From polethiopia@yahoo.com Fri Feb 25 13:44:06 2005 From: polethiopia@yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 05:44:06 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050225134407.75159.qmail@web53306.mail.yahoo.com> February 25, 2005 Commission for Africa Meet opens Britons to promote Ethiopian tourism ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The 3rd Meeting of the Commission for Africa, which was established by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, opened in London yesterday. The meeting, which is being held in closed session and attended by the 17 commissioners including Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, was expected to finalize an African Document that would be tabled at the Summit of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrial countries and to the European Union. The document expected to come out of the meeting of the Commission for Africa aims at making relations between Africa and the industrial countries to be based on partnership. In a press briefing they gave prior to the meeting, five members of the Commission said the rich countries should give equal attention to Africa as they gave to victims of the tsunami disaster in Asia. The situation of African people is worse than those of the tsunami victims, the Tanzanian Commissioner Anakajumulu Tibayjika said, adding the plights of Africans should also be heard. The General Assembly of the United Nations, in its meeting in September 2005, is expected to review the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aims to halve absolute poverty by 2015, so that it could conform to the situation of Africa. The African Document which is expected to be finalized could facilitate the cancellation of most of the debts of African countries and the raising of the quality and quantity of development assistance to Africa. Although Africa has been registering growth in trade and investment, the growth is still insignificant compared to other countries of the world, according to a document issued by the Commission. Meanwhile, British friends of Ethiopia said they would work towards changing the image of Ethiopia through the promotion of tourism. Members of Ethiopian Think-tank group, a forum of friends of Ethiopia, said while conferring with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi at the Ethiopian Embassy in London that they have also been actively engaged in the support of Ethiopia in the education and health sector. The Britons have also expressed desire to contribute to Ethiopia's social development by employing their expertise. The Ethiopian Think-tank group, which comprises renowned film actors, journalists and individuals, was established in November last year, under the initiative of Miss Renberg, in collaboration with the Embassy of Ethiopia in London. Among the prominent Britons, the special advisor of the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization had come up with a plan that would enable boost the tourism industry in Ethiopia, Ethiopian Ambassador to British, Fisseha Tegegn said. The plan has gained the acceptance of the Ethiopian Government, according to Ambassador Fisseha. The implementation of the plan would bring about significant change in the tourism sector of Ethiopia. The woman who initiated the establishment of the forum has so far sent more than half a million educational books to Ethiopia, Ambassador Fisseha said. Some members of the group are also working to improve the curriculum of health institutions in Ethiopia, he said. Prime Minister Meles has commended the goodwill and support of the Britons and said the Ethiopian Government would provide the necessary support to their efforts. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has met and held discussions with members of the Ethiopian National Consensus Forum and the Ethiopian business community in Britain on a range of national issues. The Ethiopians have forwarded a number of questions related to food security, agricultural produces market, water resources development and investment, for which Prime Minister Meles gave answers, according to Ambassador Fisseha. Board prepares new code of conduct for election executives ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) says it has prepared a new code of conduct for election executives. Civic Education and Training Senior Expert with NEBE, Mekonnen Wondimu told ENA yesterday that the new code of conduct was initially extracted from the previous election execution procedure. The experiences of various countries electoral institutions have been incorporated in the document, he said. Mekonnen said the idea is to enable election executives to strictly observe the electoral law and execution procedures. It would also help election executives to discharge their responsibilities in an efficient, independent, impartial and transparent manner, he added. East African countries found power pool, select Addis HQ by Yemane Terefe ADDIS ABABA - The Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP) which includes nine countries of the region, was officially founded yesterday selecting Addis Ababa as its headquarter and Kenyan Mine and Energy Minister chairperson for the coming one year. Speaking at the founding ceremony of EAPP at the ECA, State Minister of Infrastructure Haile Assegide said that development of a regional power market requires the establishment of a power pool to realize the potential benefits within individual country networks to the mutual economic advantage of all the interconnected countries. The State Minister also said as the World Energy Council 2003 report shows, the region has technically exploitable hydropower potential of approximately 1,900 kwh/yr, which constitutes about 16 per cent of world hydropower potential. Out of this potential, 60 per cent is concentrated in nine East African countries, the major share being the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. However, only 2.3 per cent had been exploited so far, he added. According to Haile, cooperation in establishing cross-border interconnection and associated electricity exchange in Africa can be tracedback to 1950's. "However, there is very limited power trading between Eastern African countries, such as Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. In the coming few years, Ethiopia will interconnect with Sudan and Djibouti," the State Minister said. He further indicated that the regional energy cooperation and integration is one of the most promising and profitable options to further develop the East African Region energy sector. He added that the benefits of power trade among countries is related to cost saving in the supply of power as compared to the cost of independent expansion of national power systems. Mr. Mrastus J.O Mwencha, Secretary General of COMESA, on his part said that when countries act jointly they can realize economies of scale and enhance regional and international competitiveness of export products. He added that the presence of regional ministers to officially sign the inter-governmental MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) of the East African Power Pool demonstrates the resolve of the governments of Eastern Africa to provide a forum for regional solutions to energy problems which face the energy market in the region. The member countries of EAPP that signed the 14-article document are: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. Ethiopia exerting rigorous efforts to get out of poverty: D/Speaker ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples' Representatives says rigorous efforts were in progress in a bid to extricate Ethiopia from poverty and ensure food security. Dr. Petros Olango and members of Women's Affairs Standing Committee with the House held talks yesterday with female MPs in the Swedish Parliament. The establishment of democratic system would speed up efforts being made to lift up the country from poverty and ensure food security, the deputy speaker said on the occasion. He said the democratization system in the country is being pursued with the establishment of appropriate institutions. All segments of the society are involved in the building up of the democratic system; he said adding capacity building activities are in progress in all sectors. He said a new constitution has been put in place following the overthrow of the military government 14 years ago. Preparations were in full swing to conduct national elections across the country for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Councils, he said, adding, numerous opposition parties as well as the ruling EPRDF were running in the elections. The number of opposition parties in the current parliament was very small, Petros said, adding their seats could rise depending on the outcome of the upcoming national elections. The ruling party has decided to raise the ratio of women candidates to 30 per cent in the May 2005 national elections, Dr. Pertros said. Participation of citizens in elections was increasing, he said adding over 23 million voters registered for the upcoming elections. Members of the Sweden parliament raised various questions, among others, land administration in the country, women's ratio in the current parliament, primary education and health coverage. Dr. Petros said that land is a public property administered by the government, yet the farmers would be issued with land holding guarantee certificates. The farmer has the right to give out the land in rent, pass to a third party as well as other rights, he said. Females constitute 7.1 percent in the current parliament, he said, adding the figure would rise after the next elections. Primary education coverage has reached 70 per cent, Petros said, adding the gap in ratio of male and female in terms of access to education was narrowing owing to the special focus given to female students. Members of the Swedish parliament on their part briefed their counterparts. They said they were drawn from four different political parties in parliament. Female constitute 47 per cent in the Swedish parliament and seven parties have shared the seats in the parliament, they said. The Social Democratic Party is the ruling party in the country with 144 seats, according to the parliamentarians. ================================ Pol.ethiopia Feb. 25,2005 ================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From polethiopia@yahoo.com Mon Feb 28 14:00:07 2005 From: polethiopia@yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Mon, 28 Feb 2005 06:00:07 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050228140007.82694.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> February 26, 2005 Tony Blair Africa Commission work successful: Meles ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who is one of Tony Blair's Commission for Africa, has described the commission's work as successful and constructive. Joined in a press briefing by fellow Commissioners at the end of the Commission's 3rd meeting in London Thursday Meles said that the document prepared by the Commission to help alleviate problems in the African continent. The meeting endorsed the document, which serves as a springboard to devise a mechanism to alleviate problems in Africa. The implementation of the priorities identified in the document, Meles said, will determine the continent's future. He called on the giant international media establishments, such as the BBC, to play their roles to make the issue of Africa to take a centre-stage in the international arena. According to Meles, if the international mass media give Africa the level of coverage they gave to the tsunami-hit Asia, the continent will for sure, receive enough attention to bring about change. Meles called on British Prime Ministry Tony Blair to pressurize the G8 group, into alleviating the problems of Africa. Tony Blair on his part said that the document will help Africa become a strong and prosperous continent. Debt cancellation for Africa, the creation of a more sound partnership between Africa and the rich nations, forging trade and investment partnership and the need to increase development aid to Africa were among the agenda discussed. Before having been endorsed, the document was tabled for discussions at a number of platforms including in America, Europe and Asia. Prime Minister Meles, who headed to London directly from Qatar where he paid a two-day official visit, returned home yesterday after attending the Commission for Africa meeting. Ministry says stepping up efforts crucial to secure economic benefits ADDIS ABABA - The Ministry of Information said there has been a steady growth in the number of investors engaged in various sectors since the launching of transparent, efficient and accountable service in all government institutions. According to the weekly statement the ministry issued yesterday, Ethiopia has a wide range of investment opportunities and there are vast untapped resources in the agriculture, construction, textile and other sectors to reward investors and benefit the country. The ever expanding and strengthening good relations between Ethiopia and countries of the world are among the vital factors attracting foreign investors, the statement said, adding that the country's amicable relations with others have been expedited as a result of the viable foreign policy. The efforts undertaken to consolidate sustainable peace, good governance and the government's commitment in establishing friendly ties with various countries have registered promising results, it said. The statement finally said that to wipe out poverty and backwardness from the country once and for all, it is imperative to strengthen and sustain the efficient, transparent and accountable service delivery. 55 political parties to contest upcoming elections ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The National Electoral Board (NEB) announced that 55 political parties would be contesting the upcoming national elections scheduled to be held in May 2005. Initiative Africa, a civic organization, on its part says that it would publicize candidature symbols in the form of posters. Existing and new political parties have been certified to contest the elections, Acting Registrar of Political Party Registration Office with the Board, Mekonnen Wondimu told ENA yesterday. He said 27 state and national political parties have fielded candidates for the elections. Some 31 parties have received 67 candidature symbols to contest for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Council, he said. He further indicated that parties and candidates have launched electioneering via the mass media and other platforms. Meanwhile, Initiative Africa, a civic organization, has requested the Board to support the campaigning activity, the acting registrar said. The organization has announced plan to print posters bearing candidature symbols to enable the electorate know the contesting parties, Wondimu said. He said the Board would permit the organization the undertake the activity on condition that it would publicize the symbols of all political parties impartiality. The Board would facilitate conditions to enable the organization get candidature symbols of all political parties, he said. Wondimu said 17 new candidature symbols have been submitted to the Board by the political parties. Candidates contesting for seats in the HPR and State Council in the Gambella State have also begun election campaign, the States' Election Coordinator said. Ouchan Oukelo said Thursday that 91 party and independent candidates have begun canvassing for votes. He said that 85 of the candidates were fielded by the Gambella Peoples' Democratic Movement (GPDM) and the rest are independents. According to the Coordinator, 87 of the candidates would contest for seats in the State Council and for the rest for HPR. He said 12 of the candidates are women. Similarly, 97 party and independent candidates in Arsi Zone have begun electioneering, Zonal Election Office said. Arsi Zone Election Coordinator Asrat Haile told ENA yesterday that of the 97 candidates, 35 will contest for the State Council and the rest for HPR. According to the coordinator, some 35 women candidates have been conducting election campaign after receiving candidature IDs. Asrat said that the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization, All Ethiopian Unity Party, Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, Oromo Liberation National Party, Oromo Liberation Liberation Unity Front, Oromo Abo Liberation Front, Geda System Advancement Party and the Oromo National Congress have fielded 92 candidates at ten constituencies. Some five independent candidates have also launched election campaign, the coordinator added. Some 99 candidates who have received IDs to run for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives or the State Council in the May 2005 elections have also launched election campaigning in Assosa Zone, Benshangul Gumuz State, the Zonal Election Coordinator said. One candidate complained of having been cancelled out of contention in the election. The Coordinator Asfaw Mammo said among the campaigners in nine said constituencies, 66 are fielded by the Benshangul-Gumuz Democratic Unity Front (BGDUF), All Ethiopia Unity Party (AEUP) and Ethiopian Democratic Party-Medhin (UEDP-Medhin) while 33 are private contenders. Meanwhile, Jamila Usman, an independent candidate contesting for a seat in the State Council in Assosa Constituency, appealed that she has been cancelled out after receiving candidature ID. Election Coordinator of the woreda's respective constituency Eshete Zeleke said she was cancelled out in line with the Electoral Law that says contenders in an election constituency should not exceed 12 and priority must be given to those representing political parties. He said, nine party candidates have thus passed on directly. Lot was cast to determine the three qualifiers out of the four independent candidates, which Jamila Usman was not lucky to win. February 27, 2005 Millennium Development Programme officially launched in Hawzen HAWZEN (ENA) - A five-year United Nation's Millennium Development Programme pilot project has been officially launched in Koraro kebele, Hawzen Woreda in Tigray State. Special advisor of UN's Secretary General and Millennium Development Programme Director, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs has officially announced the launching of the programme in the kebele as a pilot project. Discussing with residents of the kebele, Sachs indicated UN's commitment to support and work with the public in areas of food security, health, safe water, irrigation, and other infrastructural facilities. The Director said the project includes school-feeding programmes expansion of internet service facilities in schools and providing the necessary health service facilities for mothers and children. With full determination and participation of the public tangible results would be observed in these areas in two years period, he added. The Director, Federal and State government officials and Millenium Development Programme officials have visited the health post, Primary school and rivers in the kebele. Kebele administrator, Birhanu Assefa on his part expressed the readiness of the public to contribute their share towards the achievement of the development plans. Similarly, Chief of the Tigray State Tsegaye Berehe has urged the public to work hard for the realization of the programmes. State Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Belay Ejigu, Tigray State Council Speaker Dr. Solomon Enquai and other officials attended the launching ceremony. Union secures 43 mln. birr income ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Oromia Coffee Farmers' Cooperatives' Union said it has secured 43 million birr income through exporting coffee to the international market over the past six months. Union Manager, Tadesse Meskela said the union has exported 1,900 tonnes of coffee during the stated period. According to the Manager, the past Ethiopian budget year the union has secured 45.3 million birr in sales from exports of 2,500 tons of coffee to the international market. He said the union has secured only 8 million birr in profits due to lingering coffee price fall. The Manager said the farmers and cooperatives under the union have been highly encouraged with the certificate the union received as organic coffee producer. In a related development, the manager said, the union has established a project in Holland which will be officially launched on March 17, 2005. The project would have significant role in promoting Ethiopian coffee to consumers abroad, as the company would engage in packing and supplying Ethiopian coffee to different institutions and companies in Holland, Tadesse said. The union according to Tadesse has planned to open 17 coffee shops in England in the next three years with the support of Green Development Foundation, a non-governmental organization engaged in supporting farmers. The union has so far constructed four schools, two health posts and two potable warier facilities in Abaya and Bulehora woredas of Borena Zone. The union had exported 126 tonnes of coffee and obtained only 2.2 million birr when it was established in 1991 E.C, the manager recalled. Currently, the manager said the union has 74 member cooperatives with nine million birr aggregate capital and over 50,000 hectares of coffee plantation. University students air grievances ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Students' council representatives of a number of universities in the country have complained that they were denied their constitutional right of casting votes in the campuses they pursue their education. The Students' council representatives told ENA Friday that though the Electoral Law stipulates that any citizen that lived in a given locality for six months, has the right to elect the very right, which they said, the Board denied them. According to the council representatives, every student has taken a firm stand on the need to cast votes at his/her respective campuses for candidates of their choice. The students have threatened to file charges against the Electoral Board should it fail to respect what they said is their constitutional right. They have also urged the Board to apologize for its negligence. The Board earlier announced that if facilitated ways to enable students of higher learning who have come too far away from home to return to their respective constituencies to cast votes. ============================= Pol.ethiopia Feb.28,2005 =================== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From polethiopia at yahoo.com Thu Feb 3 14:46:00 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:15:39 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050203124601.96818.qmail@web53301.mail.yahoo.com> February 1, 2005 Oppositions boycott electoral debate on urban development by Shimelis Meressa ADDIS ABABA - The electoral debate on urban development that was scheduled to be held among four political parties last Sunday failed to take place due to the boycotting of two political parties on the allegation of supporters prohibition to enter the conference hall. The debate which was organized by Inter-Africa Group was due to be held among the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Ethiopian Pan Africanist Party (EPAP), Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and Coalition of Ethiopian Democratic Forces (CEFG) but disrupted because of the last two parties' (CUD and CEDF) and the organizers difference on how to let supports of parties to the conference hall. CUD representatives told the gathering that their party has no intention of dealing with the programme in the absence of its crowds, which they said is a violation of human rights. Accordingly, they walked out of the debate at the onset. CEDF representative Dr. Beyene Petros on his part said that in spite of his party's agreement on the procedure that only allows 10 supporters of each party, his party doesn't want to deal with the debate because the organizers didn't stick to the agreement. In addition, Dr. Beyene said the change in the procedure must have been announced to the general public through the mass media live on TV and radio. Representing EPRDF, Minister of Federal Affairs Abay Tsehaye indicated that if the parties' intention is to reach the general public by coming up with new sound policies to get supporters, the procedure limiting the number of attendants in a conference hall is genuine. However, if the intention is to get many supporters, the crowds' clap through emotion and irrelevant noises while the debate is in progress, is undemocratic, he added. He said that Inter Africa's procedure is not against democratic order and the public could not lose any human right if the debate is held among the political parties according to the scheduled programme with few supporters of each party because it is customary in all other developed country's too. EPAP representatives on their part said that their party is willing to undertake the debate and use every possible opportunities of this kind to reach in to its supporters. They said it is wise enough to be tolerant if democracy and good governance are to flourish in this country. Inter Africa Group representatives on their part said that they came up with the current decision based on their past experiences. They said the undemocratic ways of supporter's behaviors like clapping hands, producing hissing sounds and murmuring while the parties elaborate on their policies and strategies to all Ethiopians forced them to change the order. According to the organizers, the debate is not meant only for few Addis Ababa's who get the chance of attending the debate in the conference centre but also to the whole Ethiopians who eagerly wait them through TV and radio. The organizers told the gathering that they have tried their level best to convince these parties especially CUD to select ten of its supporters but it refused they said. They also indicated that they are ready to discuss on the procedures before similar debates take place. Finally, the organizers and the parties reached agreement to undertake the debate on urban development some other time. U.S. Ambassador pledges enhanced support in food security endeavours ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Aurelia E. Brazeal has pledged the readiness of her government to further its support in the food security endeavours in Ethiopia. Ambassador Brazeal made the pledge after visiting the Chewaka voluntary resettlement site in Bedele Woreda, Illubabor Zone of the Oromia State. She visited the infrastructure facilities at the resettlement site including schools and health institutions. She said the U.S. Government would enhance its support in the activities the Ethiopian Government has launched to ensure food security. She said the various crops the farmers have managed to harvest is indicative of the success of the programme in moving people from drought-prone areas to fertile ones. Chief of the Oromia State Juneidi Sado on its part said the resettlement programme implementation was paying off. The resettles presented Brazeal and Juneidi with honey they harvested for the first time at their new homes. Chewaka resettlement site houses nearly 80,000 resettles who had moved from drought-phone areas of East Hararghe and Arsi zones. Sudan electricity exportation study underway ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) announced a model agreement study is being conducted to export electricity to the Sudan. The power line to be installed from Ethiopia to the Sudan is expected to stretch 450 kilometres, Corporation General Manager Mihret Debebe told ENA. The project is part of the Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Programme (ENSAP) of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), he added. Project Manager Tesfaye Batu on his part said that the project would be extended upto Egypt. Most of the Nile riparian countries will import their hydroelectric generation capacity from Ethiopia. Ethiopia is exerting maximum efforts to translate the study into practice, he added. The on-going study is aimed at renewing and strengthening an earlier agreement reached between the two countries ten years back, he said. EEPCo and the counterpart organization in the Sudan will conduct the study on their own expenses. The World Bank has pledged to provide the fund required for the implementation of the project when the study is completed, he added. A similar project is in progress in Djibouti for whose implementation the African Development Bank has agreed to provide 60 million US dollars. The Ethio-Sudan electricity export agreement study is expected to be completed within the coming few months. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding providing for the exportation of electricity for the second time in 2001. EPRDF Electoral Committee criticizes CUD walk out ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Electoral Committee of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) said that failure on the part of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) to participate in last Sunday's debate shows that the coalition does not have any alternative political, economic and social programmes to present to the electorate. The Committee said that the representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate because they have not had an alternative programme me and they could not challenge the programme of the EPRDF, which it said, is on the right track of change. In a statement it sent to ENA yesterday, the Committee said that the representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate under the pretext of the prohibition of 100 people from entering the venue. Pointing out that it is only through heavy sacrifices that such an opportunity is created both in the country and three parts of the world, the Committee said that any political party, which claims to pay sacrifices for democracy, should strive to benefit from this very political forum (debate). The representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate with no adequate reasons, it said. The members of the Coalition had reached at a decision to notify that they may boycott the national elections, even at the polling day while at the same time they kept on claiming to win in the elections, it said. The Committee would be obliged to question whether the aim of the opposition party is tarnishing the process of elections fearing that defeat is inevitable for them. Pointing out that EPRDF is doing its level best to make the upcoming national elections free and fair the Committee said that it has offered training on the election to all its members on its election code of conduct. The amended electoral law, early launching of election campaigns and fair use of the mass media by political parties to campaign serve as testimonies that the Front is committed to make the elections democratic. Earlier, the debate organizers said, there had been an agreement among the parties involved to limit attendance to ten supporters each. February 2, 2005 Democracy in Ethiopia steadily evolving as nation prepares for third national elections: Meles ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says that the ruling party EPRDF will work together with opposition parties and the international community to have a successful democratic elections. Voting of the third democratic elections in the country is scheduled to b held in May, except the Somali State, where voting will take place in August this year. Meles, who is Commissioner of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Commission for Africa and Co-Chair of the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA), said democracy in Ethiopia said democracy in Ethiopia has been steadily evolving in the right direction. "Obviously, democracy in Ethiopia, as on the rest of the continent, is a work in progress," Meles told All Africa's Reed Kramer in an interview during GCA forum held just recently here in Addis Ababa - the AU Headquarter and seat of some important international organization. Describing the system of democracy in Ethiopia as one "very recognizable", Meles said, "We have over sixty opposition political parties and most of them have so far indicated that they want to participate. Over the past two to three months, we've had intensive debates through the public media on issues of concern to the Ethiopian electorate…" which he hoped will continue right up to the polling-day. Asked if opponents have a case in alleging lack of access to the media, Meles pointed our that over 80 magazines and newspapers are in circulation in Ethiopia, most of them, he said, espousing the ideals of the opposition parties, and which the ruling party does not control access to. "As far as the public media is concerned, every Sunday for several hours, we have had debates about the issues that the electorate is concerned about." Moreover, for the election process, the Ministry of Information has allocated air time and newspaper space to the parties, he said. EPRDF, which has well over 85 per cent of seats in Parliament, has been given 44 per cent of airtime, and the opposition parties, with less than 12 seats taking 56 per cent of the allocated airtime. "If anybody has the right to complain, it would be the ruling party," Meles said. In justification to the recent call he made for quadrupled aid to Ethiopia by donors, Meles said an independent study by a respected international body has identified Ethiopia as being able to use additional resources effectively, citing a World Bank Study which puts Ethiopia in the list of ten countries that can effectively use additional development assistance. "Ethiopia is getting, in per capita terms, half of the average aid [received by] sub-Saharan African countries… The fact that we get half as much as the average African countries seems to indicate that we need to get more," Meles told All Africa.com.. If it came, the priorities for that aid would be infrastructure and rural development, he indicated. Asked to evaluate the profress of the campaign against HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, Meles said it was encouraging that the infection rates have stabilized, but there was recognition of the need to be more aggressive. "We unveiled a more aggressive, more comprehensive strategy of tackling HIV/AIDS, which includes provision of anti-retroviral, provision of voluntary (counseling and testing) in combination with preventive work. On the whole, I am encouraged, but I also recognize that we face a very serious challenge and we have to preempt it." He said Ethiopia is working in concert with the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which he described as most helpful. The United States has also been very helpful, and many of our other development partners have chipped in too." Responding to a question on the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Prime Minister Meles said, "…the dispute is not a border dispute alone… Eritrea has been independent de facto since 1991, and dejure since 1993. Between 1991 and 1997, we had excellent relations with Eritrea, despite the fact that we did not have a boundary that was formally demarcated." "…If we are looking at the possibilities of sustainable peace, we have to address the border issue. But we have to go beyond the border issue and address the root cause of the conflict, and this has to do with the economic, political, and social ties between the two countries." "What we have suggested is to do both: address the border issue and also address the root causes of the conflict through normalization between the two countries. Dialogue on both." In the five-point peace proposal, Ethiopia has expressed acceptance "in principle" of the boundary commission's decision, for it is legally binding. "However, when you go from delimitation to demarcation, the normal process is that you make adjustments. There is no border on earth that has been demarcated without adjustments to the delimitation decision. There are technical reasons for it. You have to have line of sight does not follow the map of the delimitation decision. "There are also political reasons for adjustments, and these political reasons for adjustments are recognized by the boundary commission itself." Meles quoted the boundary commission as saying that there were "anomalies and impracticalities" in the decisions. Asked to address the anomalies and impracticalities, the boundary commission said it does not have a mandate, and that if it was given the mandate, it would address them. "We are saying let's talk, so we can address these impracticalities and anomalies and can then have a real, lasting demarcation of the boundary. That's why we need dialogue on both normalization and implementation of the boundary commission decision," Meles said. Asked to respond to the allegation that too much money is spent on the military, and not enough for development, Meles countered by recalling that Ethiopia, after the war with Eritrea had ended, demobilized unilaterally. "… In the first year, we cut our defense budget by half. Since then, in absolute terms, it has been going down continuously, and that's recognized by the international community." Meles said, "Obviously, we would like to reduce the defense expenditure to as close to zero as possible. But, that is going to take some time, because we live next door… to Eritrea… We cannot unilaterally disarm. The first time we tried that, before 1998, we paid for it." Concerning the cooperation between Ethiopia and the U.S., Meles described the relations as excellent for many years, particularly the past four years, and that they are still very good. "We are confident that they will continue to be as excellent as they have been in the past. OFDM set to changing parliamentary system NEKEMPTE (WIC) - The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) Sunday announced that it would change the prevailing parliamentary system to a presidential one should it win the upcoming elections. Speaking at a conference called by the Movement to introduce its programme to the inhabitants of Nekempte town, Bulcha Demekessa, Chairman of the Movement said his party will introduce a presidential order where the president is elected directly by the people by changing the constitution. The chairman, who opposes the parliamentary system for failing to ensure power to the Oromo people, argued that a presidential order would guarantee power to the Oromo people, as they are the majority in the country. He also described the existing federal system as a tutelary one for it has obstructed the people from governing themselves. Bulcha vowed to scrap it and introduce genuine federal system to the country should his party win the election. The chairman further said the Oromo language would be made a lingua franca, adding that land should be owned by the public and not by the government; thus promising to introduce private ownership of land. Bulcha argued that the Oromo, the South, Benshangul-Gumuz, Gambella and Somali people are the most exploited and marginalized in Ethiopian; and called upon them to actively participate in the upcoming elections so as to peacefully remove the successive oppressive governments. AU Assembly decides to hold Mid-term Assembly in Addis, adopts resolutions ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in Abuja has decided to hold its Mid-term Assembly every year in January in Addis Ababa. The Summit concluded adopting number of resolutions. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi returned home later on Monday after attending the two-day 4th AU Summit. According to the resolution, the January sessions of the Assembly will be held in the last week of January at the AU Headquarters, Addis Ababa, during which the Chairperson of the Assembly will be elected. The Assembly recalls its previous decision in July 2004 in Addis Ababa on the convening of two ordinary sessions of the Assembly every year, which previously was an annual event. It approves that Libya will host the Summit in July 2005. Ethiopia will be hosting the January sessions all the years from 2007 to 2010. The Assembly in July 2006 will be held in Gambia, followed by Ghana, Angola, Madagascar and Egypt in the subsequent years until 2010. It decides that the January Session could be convened, on an exceptional basis, outside the Headquarters, by a decision of the Assembly upon the recommendation of the Commission. "However, such hosting shall not be linked to the Chairmanship of the Union." It decides also to extend the term of office of the Chairperson and the Bureau of the Assembly from July 2005 to January 2006. Concerning the location of AU institutions, the Assembly decides that the African Central Bank shall be located in Western Region, African Investment Bank in Northern Region, African Monetary Fund in Central Region and Court of Justice in Eastern Region. It recalls its previous decision that the Pan African Parliament shall be located in South Africa. The Assembly concluded its deliberations after adopting passing resolutions on Somalia, the Sudan and Conflicts in other parts of the continent. Britain pledges support for peace proposal realization ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - A senior official of the British Government has pledged his country's support for implementation of the five point peace proposal put forward by Ethiopia to resolve the dispute with Eritrea. Italian Undersecretary for the Foreign Affairs also announced that the transportation of the Axum Obelisk will begin early in March. During talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Abuja, Nigeria, Britain's Minister for Africa Chris Mulin said Ethiopia's peace proposal is vital to resolve the border dispute peacefully. The British Government will extend support in the efforts to realize the peace proposal, which has been welcomed by Britain and the international community, Mulin said. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Minister Mulin discussed the cooperation between Ethiopia and Britain as well as international issues. Meanwhile, Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Sen. Alfredo Luigi Mantica has confirmed that transporting of the Axum Obelisk to Ethiopia will begin early in March. During talks with Prime Minister Meles in Abuja, the handing over of the Obelisk will be conducted in line with the pledge made by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the slated timetable. The transportation of the Obelisk will be concluded in three phases, he said, adding the return of the Obelisk to its rightful owners, the peoples of Ethiopia, will be significant to further enhancing the cooperation between Italy and Ethiopia. An Italian high-level trade and investment delegation led by Italian Trade Minister is scheduled to pay a working visit to Ethiopia soon, according to sen. Mantica. The visit is believed to bolster the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of trade and investment, he said. The visit is believed to bolster the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of trade and investment, he said. The visit comes in response to understanding reached with Italian investors during the recent visit by Ethiopian delegation led by Prime Minister Meles to Italy, the Senator said. The visit by Prime Minister Meles to Rome contributed significantly to the upgrading of the cooperation between the two countries, senior government officials of Ethiopia who attended the talks said. ================================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.3,2004 ========================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia at yahoo.com Tue Feb 15 10:39:56 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:15:39 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050215083956.89300.qmail@web53304.mail.yahoo.com> February 13, 2005 EPRDF Council says all-out effort exerted to ensure food security ADDIS ABABA (ENA) The council of the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary and Democratic Front (EPRDF) said that its members at all levels have been exerting all-out effort to ensure security in the next two year. During its two day 3rd regular session opened at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday the Council pointed that encouraging results have been achieved in increasing crop production. The Council reviewed agricultural and rural development activities undertaken over last six month. The Council also assessed results achieved to ensuring food security at household level within 3-5 years were encouraging. The Council also urged that activities that should be undertaken during the main and small rainy (Belg and Meher) seasons need to be strengthened to achieve better results. Stressing the need for the early supply of agricultural inputs and the assignment of professionals, the Council adopted the six-month performance report on agricultural and rural development activities. The Council has also decided that achievements gained in capacity building, trade and industry sectors should be further strengthened, its spokesperson said. The Council had reviewed activities undertaken in rural development, capacity building, and trade and industry sectors over the last six months. Regarding capacity building, the council called upon farmers to actively involve in efforts under way to strengthen farmer's cooperatives. It also said efforts being exerted by the EPRDF in collaboration with the society have registered encouraging results in the education sector. The education coverage in states administrated by the EPRDF has reached period. Concerning investment and trade, the Council assessed that the volume of export during the last six months surpassed that of last year same period by 33 per cent. It said 48,000 citizens also got access to education while 31,417 existing and new small-scale and micro-business have been strengthened. The council said a sum of 72 million birr loan was given to those people who have got access to employment opportunity. I would also discuss reports on good governance and subsidy being provided to relatively developing states and other activities undertaken over the last six months among others. Bob Marley Foundation to build health facility in Shashemene SHASHEMENE (ENA) - The Bbd Marley Foundation announced that it will build a health facility at a cost of 50,000 USD in Shashemene town, 250 kms south of Addis Ababa. The announcement was made by foundation Representative given Forman in speech he delivered at the celebration yesterday of the 60th Birthday Anniversary of Rage King Bob Marley in Shashemne town. The health facility, which will well be equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment, will give health care service to the townspeople, Forman said. He said the Foundation has also planned to undertake other development activities in the town in the future and urged the town administration to extend support for the realization of its plan. He also called upon the Foundation to engage in other development activities in the town and other parts of Oromia. Demisse said Jamaicans could invest in the woreda where 68,000 hectares of land is designated as industrial Zone. He said the twon adminstration named a football field in the towna fter Bob Marley. the towns people accorded warm welcome to Bob's wife Rita Marley and her sons upon arrival in the town three days ago. ================ pol.Ethiopia Feb.15, 2005 ================ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia at yahoo.com Wed Feb 16 15:49:32 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:15:39 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] SCEM@haven.eyrie.org Message-ID: <20050216134932.12329.qmail@web53306.mail.yahoo.com> February 15, 2005 Ethiopian Massively mobilizing domestic resources to achieve MDCs: Meles ADDIS ABABA )ENA) - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says that the country is engaged in a massive effort to effectively mobilize domestic resources with a view to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Opened the partnership Forum on the Second Annual Progress Report of Ethiopia's Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Programme (SDPRD) yesterday, Meles said: "We are aware that the build of the resources required to achieve the MDGs have to be domestic," said. "While we hope that there will be a steep change in both the quantity and quality of the development assistance we get, the key to achieving the MDGs is going to be effective mobilization and utilization of labour resources for development activities, particularly in the rural areas, Meles said. Meles said availability of resources and weak implementation capacity were the two most important challenges Ethiopia has been facing in the efforts to scale-up sustainable development and poverty reduction programmes. There has been improvement in the implementation of the SDPRD during the second year of implantation, Meles said, adding, preliminary indications of the third year of implementation also suggest that these board based improvements have continued. Indeed, Meles added, unless we can overcome the bottlenecks that we have encountered and massively scale-up our programmes, it will be difficult to sustain the good results of the past year or two. With regard to utilization of resources, Meles aid Ethiopia has been identified by the World Bank and the UN MDG team as one of the countries, which can adequately use increased resources flows. Nevertheless, the PM said, "At the moment, Ethiopia gets about half the per capita average in Africa in terms of resource flows and can clearly absorb significantly more than the current Sub-Saharan Africa average. Meles was optimistic that there would be a vertical increase of development assistance to Ethiopia both in quantity and quality. According to Meles, increased external resource flows would limit the pressure on domestic resource mobilization. State Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mekonen Manyazewal said on the occasion that the government has embarked on an aggressive programme to accelerate progress in the areas of education, health, expanding infrastructure, building institutions as well as developing government. He expressed belief that the two-day forum would dwell on achievements, challenges and prospects in the implementation of the SDORP. Development Assistance Group (DAG) Co-Chair, Modibo Toure on the occasion commended Ethiopia for the effort being exerted towards bringing about sustainable development and reduce poverty. "We need to recognize important achievements made during the past year including the 11.6 per cent growth, increases in pro-poor spending in areas such as food security, health and education," Toure said. EPRDF calls upon public to struggle against tendencies affecting electoral process ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - the council of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has called upon the public to persistently struggle against tendencies that would adversely affect the smooth conduct of the May 2005 national elections. The Council made the call in a statement it issued late Sunday while concluding its 3rd Regular Meeting. The statement said that various activities have been carried out over the past six months with a view to holding the national elections in a fair and democratic manner acceptable by the Ethiopian people and the international community as well. The electoral debates with opposition political parties on the basis of the principle of free and equal footing, and efforts made to amend the electoral law upon the demand of opposition political parties have contributed a great deal to making the electoral process democratic, the statement said. Activities carried out for the judicious utilization of the mass media in the election campaign, facilitating the entrance of international observers and the adoption of electoral guideline to build the captivity of members were all successful, according to the statement. Women account 32 per cent of the 499 candidates EPRDF fielded to run for seats in the house of Peoples' Representatives, and 43 per cent of the 1,467 candidates vying for seats in state council seats, the statements said. This was achieved thanks to the implementation of the directions it put in place in terms of gender equity and fairness, the statement said. The council urged administrative bodies at all level and the public at large to exert maximum efforts to consolidate the encouraging achievements in all directions. The statement said the Council also conducted a thorough performance appraisal in the areas of rural development, capacity building, trade, industry and investment as well as organizational and public relations activities carried out in the first half of the budget year. The Council has confirmed that most of the set plans have attained the desired goals during the reported period, and called for strengthening of the achievements gained in the agriculture sector since the last two years. Regarding capacity building, the council called upon farmers to actively involve in efforts underway to strengthen cooperatives. It had also reviewed that efforts launched by the EPRDF in collaboration with the public have registered encouraging results in the education sector, the statement said, adding that education coverage has reached 85.96 per cent in those states being administered by EPRDF. Concerning investment and trade, the Council assessed that the volume of export during the last six months had surpassed that of last year same period by 33 per cent, the statement said. The Council further indicated that 72 million birr loan was given to those people who have got access to employment opportunity. ================== pol.ethiopia FEbruary 16, 2005 ========================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? All your favorites on one personal page – Try My Yahoo! http://my.yahoo.com From polethiopia at yahoo.com Thu Feb 17 13:44:31 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:15:39 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050217114432.2625.qmail@web53302.mail.yahoo.com> February 16, 2005 AACC says preparations finalized for 9th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce (AACC) said it has finalized preparations for the 9th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair to be staged from 17-23 February, 2005 in Addis Ababa. At a press conference held yesterday, Members of AACC management said some 133 local and 31 international organizations are expected to take part in the trade fair. All foreign participants have already arrived in Addis Ababa, they, added. Vice President of the AACC, Eyasu-Work Zafu, Acting Secretary Haile Meskel Abebe and trade fair project coordinator Tamirat Admasu said the event would contribute much to the country's effort to alleviate poverty. Members of AACC management said that different governmental organizations have contributed a lot to make the trade fair a success. The number of local and international organizations that participate in the trade fair has been increasing from time to time, they said. Concerning participation of state governments in the trade fair, they said Tigray and Amhara states would participate for the second time, while the Benshangul-Gumuz and the Southern Nations, nationalities and peoples State will take part in this year's trade fair for the first time. According to management members of AACC, the trade fair would serve as a forum to attract foreign investment by introducing investment opportunities in the country. The trade fair would also create an opportunity for local businessmen to jointly work with foreign investors in the future, they added. Similarly, "AGRIFEX Ethiopia 2005", the first specialized international trade fir in agriculture is expected to be staged in Addis Ababa from June 2-6, 2005. Ethiopian Tourist attractions promotion event held in Austria ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Some Ethiopia's trourist attractions have recently been displayed on a Torurism and Trade Fair organized in Salzburg city, Austria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The Ministry told ENA yesterday that Ethiopian coffee ceremony has been displayed on the three-day fair, which began on February 11, 2005. The briefing made on the unique features of Ethiopian coffee ceremony was also transmitted live on the Salzburg Radio. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony will also be broadcast on Salzburg ORF Television, the Ministry added, The Ministry said other tourist's attractions were also displayed on the fair, adding that the vent has created the opportunity to promote tourist attractions and the good images of the country. The fair was jointly organized by the Ethiopian Embassy in Vienna and an Austrian travel company called GE RIESEN. February 17, 2005 Partnership Forum concludes making recommendations ADDIS ABABA - The two-day partnership Forum on Ethiopia's Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction programme Annual Process report 2003/04 ended Tuesday making various recommendations, according a joint press release the UNDP faxed to the Herald. The recommendation include adding emphasis on promotion of growth that includes the expansion of rural land certification support for market development and investments in rural infrastructure and small towns; consolidate the progress made in access to education by giving due attention to quality issues and completion rates as well as measure to address gender regional disparities. Opening the forum Monday, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said: "While we hope that there will be a steep change in both the quantity and quality of the development assistance we get, the key to achieving the MDGs is going to be the effective mobilization and industrialization of labour resources for development activities, particularly in the rural areas." Party, independent candidates receive IDs ADDIS ABABA (WIC/ENA)- The East Wollega Zone electoral Board Office announced that 11 contestants running for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Council in Nekempte constituency had collected candidature IDs. In addition, IDs were issued to two other independent candidates that solicited the required number of signatures to quality for the contest, he said. Meanwhile, the Oromia Women's Association has called upon women to elect those candidates who promote women's causes. Association's chairperson, Amsale Hunde stressed the need that women should elect those who can struggle for gender equity and ensure women's rights as well as free them from economic dependency. Amsale pointed out that the Association has launched an agitation campaign to enable women to actively participate in the election. Meanwhile, some 78 political party and independent candidates received their symbols, to compete in the May 2005 national elections in Eastern Zone of Tigray State, the zonal election office said. Office Coordinator, Meckonnon Reda said the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the United Ethiopian Democratic Unity party - MEDHIN (EUDP-MEDHIN), The All Ethiopian Unity party (AEUP), Rainbow Ethiopia; Movement for Democracy and Social Justice, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) and three independent candidates received their respective symbols in eight constituencies in the zone. TPLF fielded eight candidates to run for the House of Peoples' Representatives and 32 for the State Council, while UEDP-MEDHIN fielded on for the House of Peoples' Representatives and six for the State Council, the coordinator said. He further said UEDF staged six for the House of Peoples' Representatives and 18 for the State Council while AEUD fielded one candidate to run for the House of Peoples' Representatives and two for the State Council. Meanwhile, candidates representing ten political parties have been fielded in 21 constituencies in Arsi zone of Oromia State, coordinator of the zonal constituency said. Ahmed Abdulahi said Tuesday that 674 political party candidates and ten independent candidates would run for seats in the House of Peoples; representatives, while 112 political party and independent candidates would contest for scats in the State Council. He said the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), the All Ethiopian Unity Party(AEUP), the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), the Oromo Liberation national Party (OLNP), the Geda System Advancement Party (GSAP), the Oromo Liberation Unity Front (OLUF) the All Amhara People's Organization (AAPO), EDUP, the All Ethiopian Democratic Party (AEDP) and the Oromo National Congress (ONL) were the parties contending in the zone. ======================= Pol.Ethiopia Feb.17,2005 ================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Easier than ever with enhanced search. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia at yahoo.com Tue Feb 22 14:53:40 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:15:39 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Itmes Message-ID: <20050222125340.74582.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> February 22, 2005 Experts discuss regional power pool establishment ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Utility and ministry experts from nine African countries began a two-day deliberations here yesterday on the establishment of the Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP). EAPP will be established by electric power corporations (companies) of Ethiopia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and Egypt. Ethiopian State Minister of Infrastructure Haile Assegide told the opening of the meeting that Sub-Saharan Africa in general and Eastern Africa in particular are far behind the rest of the world in terms of infrastructure development and access to electricity and per capita consumption is below the world average. Haile says: "In most countries, the rural population has little or no access to electricity. Ethiopia is no exception. One cannot think of eradicating poverty in the rural area without tackling the issue of rural infrastructure services. Supply of electricity to the rural poor is one of the most important instruments to poverty reduction." He indicated the need to cooperate at regional level and strengthen efforts to optimize the abundant energy potential and maximize output in a bid to fuel the economic development of the region and reduce poverty. He said establishment of EAPP also goes in line with the Mission and objectives of the African Union and NEPAD. Ethiopia has proposed to host the EAPP permanent secretariat. General Manager of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation Mihret Debebe said on his part, that the series of meetings this week by the utility and ministry experts as well as the CEO's and ministers of energy of the respective countries would hopefully culminate in formalizing the establishment of EAPP and setting up of statutory bodies. The Union of Producers, Transporters and Distributors of Electric Power in Africa (UPDEA) has been playing the role of coordination and leadership in the process of the establishment of EAPP. Support in the effort to realize what Mihret described as "important step in the economic integration of the region" came also from the UNECA, the AU and other development partners. "…The establishment of the power pool is not an end in itself," says Mihret. "If the power pool has to function properly, the member utilities have to continue their active participation demonstrated during the establishment phase. The power pool shall function smoothly only through participation of its members." "All regions of the continent except Eastern Africa by now have established there power pools. The next logical stage therefore is to integrate the sub regional power pools to create African Power Pool. East Africa should not be the missing link. We have to make EAPP a reality." The experts are expected to finalize and submit the draft Inter Governmental Memorandum of Understanding to the pertinent Ministers on Thursday for review and signature. Ethiopia aggressively working to implement UNCCD Experience-sharing workshop underway ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopia has been aggressively working towards implementing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which it ratifies in June 1997, Director General of the Environmental Protection Authority said. Ethiopia was in the process of updating the mainstreaming the national action plan into the sustainable development and poverty reduction programme to implement the Convention, Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre-Egziabher said. Dr. Tewolde Berhan was speaking at a sub-regional workshop opened here yesterday to exchange experiences on the context of national reports on the implementation of UNCCD. Ethiopia was also implementing strategies and laws it adopted towards the UNCCD which included among others, environmental policy, conservation strategy, rural development policy and strategy, sustainable development and poverty reduction programme and food security programme, he said. He said devolution of power to district levels, which he said promotes the proper management of renewable environmental resources, was also being implemented successfully. A total of 48 national reports and five sub-regional reports have been submitted to the UNCCD Secretariat, Ambassador Hama Arba Diallo told workshop participants. He said: "The national reports once again manifest that the road to the implementation of the Convention has been very long and a difficult undertaking". "The issues the countries have had to tackle in the process were many and often crosscutting." "… It has been exhibited that at the centre of it all are much deeper underlying forces of socio-economic nature, such as poverty and the subsequent total dependency on natural resources for subsistence by the poor", he indicated. The three-day workshop is expected to be a platform for reviewing, consolidating and sharing experiences, good practices and lessons learnt while implementing the convention. Some 70 representatives of bilateral and international institutions from Eastern and Southern Africa and other stakeholders are in attendance at the workshop jointly organized by IGAD and SADC Secretariats in collaboration with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Bank and UNCCD. Ministry to build university in Axum AXUM (ENA) - A university with an enrolment capacity of over 10,000 students is to be constructed in Axum town, central Tigray zone, Education Vice Minister, Dr. Teshome Yizengaw said. While receiving 100 hectares of land for the construction of the university from the town administration last Friday, Dr. Teshome said the construction work will begin next month. With an enrollment capacity of over 10,000 students, Dr. Teshome said that the university would be of great significance to the public and students in the town. The construction of the university is expected to be finalized in five years time. Officials from woreda and zonal administrations laid the cornerstone with the Vice Minister. =============================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.22,2005 ======================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com From polethiopia at yahoo.com Thu Feb 24 14:55:45 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:15:39 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050224125545.86899.qmail@web53307.mail.yahoo.com> February 23, 2005 Ethiopia, Qatar sign technical, economic cooperation accord Meles meets Qatari businesspersons ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopia and Qatar Monday signed a technical and economic cooperation agreement. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in Doha on an official visit to that Middle Eastern country earlier in the day. During talks with Amir Hamid Bin Kahalifa Eslami in Doha, Prime Minister Meles said the two countries have shown interest to bolster their relations in the areas of trade, investment and tourism. Middle East Affairs Director with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Addis Dilnesa said that although the relations between Ethiopia and Qatar, which commenced in mid 1990s focused on economic and social sectors, it has not brought about the desired results. The Premier's visit to Qatar is believed to cement the relations between the two countries, Addis, who attended the meeting said. The leaders of the two countries conferred on bilateral and other international issues of common interest. The agreement was signed by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin and Qatari First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Bin Jabir Alfani. Meanwhile, Meles has called on Qatari businesspersons to make use of the conducive investment climate prevailing in Ethiopia. Prime Minister Meles told Qatari investors that the Ethiopian Government would provide special support for investors who would engage in selected sectors. Meles, also conferred with members of the country's trade and industry council and investors about trade and investment issues Monday. Foreign investors would benefit if they invest in Ethiopia particularly in agro-industry, leather and leather products as well as in textile sectors, Meles said. There is also a favourable condition for investors who would like to engage in cattle fattening, establishing modern abattoirs, in supplying meat and fodder products, Meles said. The government would provide special incentives for investors who would invest in selected areas of investment, Meles said, adding investors would face no market problem as the country has been given tax and quota free access to the U.S, and European markets. Qatari businesspersons said on the occasion that they would like to visits Ethiopia as their information about the country was very limited, for which Meles said he would make sure that the pertinent ministry arrange an official working visit for Qatari business envoys. Qatar is bordering with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This oil-rich country has a population of eight million with a per capita income of 21,500 dollars. US gov't ready to assist Ethiopian private sector by Yemane Terefe ADDIS ABABA - The United States Ambassador to Ethiopia Aurelia Brazeal said yesterday her government is ready to assist the Ethiopia Private Sector to benefit from the American market. She added that U.S. Ethiopian Commercial relationship is strong and growing. Speaking at the opening of a half-day seminar held at the Hilton Hotel under the title "Doing Business with United States" Ambassador Aurelia Brazeal said that the Government of Ethiopia has made marked progress in a number of important areas, including growth and stability of macroeconomy, education, health, transport and rural land tenures. According to the Ambassador, the US Government supports such reforms, but the effort should continue for further improvement. She added that additional reforms are needed to allow the private sector flourish, and the US looks forward to continuing its partnership with Ethiopian business community and the government for the realization of those reforms. The participants suggested that establishing dialogue between the government and private sector enhances the growth of trade with the aim of capitalizing on opportunities for private sector growth and business expansion. Mr. Addis Alemayehou, AGOA Ethiopia Coordinator, ECA Trade Hub on his part said Ethiopia's export under AGOA to US was 4.8 million USD in 2004 but Kenya did 258 million USD in the same year. According to him, the ECA Trade Hub hired in 2004 an outside consultant to conduct study on AGOA here in Ethiopia and to come up with an AGOS strategy for Ethiopia. The key constraints that consultants came up with why eligible enterprises in Ethiopia cannot take full advantage of AGOA were lack of information on market opportunities in USA, low industrial capacity base, relatively low skilled and trained labour force, lack of proper production management skill and a lot of bureaucratic challenges that hinder benefits from the various government incentives, such as the different lines of credit. Addis indicated that a lot of development works have already taken place in textile garments and apparels sector since 2001. The government of Ethiopia has made some concrete moves towards improving the situation, he said. Representatives of business communities and invited guests were in attendance of the seminar. UNDP, donors grant $1.6 mln. to 24 CSOs for civic, voter education by Shimelis Meressa ADDIS ABABA - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other donors have disclosed that they have awarded 1.6 million USD to 24 organizations that would carry out nationwide civic and voter education in advance of the National Election to be held in the upcoming mid-May 2005. In a joint press briefing by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), donors and UNDP at the UN conference centre yesterday the representatives indicated that the civic and voter education would enhance citizens' knowledge on constitutional electoral rights and responsibilities. Asked about the selection criteria of CSOs and institutions, UNDP, Resident Representative Modibo Toure said that their previous experience in providing civic education, raising public awareness responsiveness to target groups and capacity to plan, organize, implement and report on projects were taken into account. In addition, representatives of the organization, local outreach of networks, relevance of the proposal, coherence of overall design of the proposal and budget and cost-effectives were taken into consideration. Representing NEBE, Chairman of the Board Kemal Bedri has commended UNDP and the donor's support. He said that the process would help the Board open up the election and hold it in a more free and fair manner. It would also enable the international community know better about the democratization process in the country. The chairman has also indicated that the pre-election process has so far been going smoothly and peacefully. The Board has been trying to solve cases that tend to disrupt the democratization process and it would continue doing so. The current assistance to civic and voter education is a major part of the large multi-donor assistance to the 2005 National Elections project supported by many donors, including: Austria, Canada, EC, Finland, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA and UNDP, it was learnt. The donor group is chaired by Sweden and UNDP is doing the facilitating and coordinating role. The total value of the project is over six million USD, information disseminated during the occasion indicated. February 24, 2005 Cuba seeks to strengthen economic, political ties with Ethiopia ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Cuban Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs says that his country was desirous of further strengthening economic and political ties with Ethiopia. During talks with Speaker of the House of the Federation Dr. Mulatu Teshome yesterday, Manuel Aguileria Dela Paz expressed his country's desire to further bolster bilateral ties with Ethiopia. Cuban professionals have been helping human resource development efforts in Ethiopia in various sectors, he said. High profile Cuban physicians have also been providing services in rural Ethiopia, he added. The Summit of the Non-aligned Movement, to which Ethiopia and Cuba are founding members, is scheduled to be held in Havanna, in 2006, the Minister said, adding that the two countries can work together to further strengthen the Movement. House Speaker Dr. Mulatu said on his part that the relations between the two countries should be enhanced in people-to-people ties. He said Ethiopia needs further support from Cuba, particularly in the education sector development, for which Cuban teachers, professors and doctors could play significant role sharing their expertise with Ethiopian counterparts. Moreover, Dr. Mulatu said that Cuban support and experience is sought to promote the sugar industry in Ethiopia. Meanwhile, the Embassy of Cuba in Ethiopia said, the cooperation between the governments of Ethiopia and Cuba in the economic and social sectors have been gathering momentum. In a press statement she gave here yesterday in connection with the visit to Ethiopia of Cuban Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Embassy Counselor Lopa Sanchez Lorenzo said the cooperation between the two countries has bolstered in the areas, mainly of health, education and sports. The counselor said the Cuban Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs met senior officials of the Ethiopian Government during which the two sides assessed implementation of cooperation agreements between the two countries in the economic and social sectors. She said the consultation made ever since the establishment of the Ethio-Cuba Parliamentary Friendship team were successful, adding the two countries will exchange visits this year to further enhance the cooperation between the two countries. Cuba is known for its intervention in the sugar industry construction activities in Ethiopia, she said, adding the delegation led by the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs had discussed with pertinent bodies on ways of expanding sugarcane plantation in Ethiopia. Cuba is desirous to further enhance the cooperation between the two countries particularly in the areas of education, health, sports and culture, she indicated. Not less that 5,000 Ethiopians have studied higher education in various professional streams in Cuba previously, she said, adding 100 Cuban professionals have been providing services in Ethiopia to date. The Cuban delegation led by Vice Minister Manuel AGuileria Dela Paz, which arrived on Monday on a two day visit here for home yesterday. Meles in London to attend 3rd Commission for Africa meeting ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in London yesterday to take part in the 3rd meeting of the Commission for Africa. The meeting to be opened today is expected to finalize a document containing Africa's demands to be submitted to the G8 group. Meles, who is one of the 17 commissioners of Tony Blair's Commission for Africa, headed directly to London after concluding a two-day official visit to Qatar. The Commission was established to find ways to help Africa catch with the pace towards development and prosperity. As current chair of the G8 group and the EU, Britain pledges to make Africa the priority agenda in both the multilateral fronts. The Commission thus sees hope that 2005 provides a fat opportunity to creating the ways to bringing Africa in the track of change. =================================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.24,2005 ========================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From polethiopia at yahoo.com Fri Feb 25 15:44:06 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:15:39 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050225134407.75159.qmail@web53306.mail.yahoo.com> February 25, 2005 Commission for Africa Meet opens Britons to promote Ethiopian tourism ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The 3rd Meeting of the Commission for Africa, which was established by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, opened in London yesterday. The meeting, which is being held in closed session and attended by the 17 commissioners including Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, was expected to finalize an African Document that would be tabled at the Summit of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrial countries and to the European Union. The document expected to come out of the meeting of the Commission for Africa aims at making relations between Africa and the industrial countries to be based on partnership. In a press briefing they gave prior to the meeting, five members of the Commission said the rich countries should give equal attention to Africa as they gave to victims of the tsunami disaster in Asia. The situation of African people is worse than those of the tsunami victims, the Tanzanian Commissioner Anakajumulu Tibayjika said, adding the plights of Africans should also be heard. The General Assembly of the United Nations, in its meeting in September 2005, is expected to review the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aims to halve absolute poverty by 2015, so that it could conform to the situation of Africa. The African Document which is expected to be finalized could facilitate the cancellation of most of the debts of African countries and the raising of the quality and quantity of development assistance to Africa. Although Africa has been registering growth in trade and investment, the growth is still insignificant compared to other countries of the world, according to a document issued by the Commission. Meanwhile, British friends of Ethiopia said they would work towards changing the image of Ethiopia through the promotion of tourism. Members of Ethiopian Think-tank group, a forum of friends of Ethiopia, said while conferring with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi at the Ethiopian Embassy in London that they have also been actively engaged in the support of Ethiopia in the education and health sector. The Britons have also expressed desire to contribute to Ethiopia's social development by employing their expertise. The Ethiopian Think-tank group, which comprises renowned film actors, journalists and individuals, was established in November last year, under the initiative of Miss Renberg, in collaboration with the Embassy of Ethiopia in London. Among the prominent Britons, the special advisor of the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization had come up with a plan that would enable boost the tourism industry in Ethiopia, Ethiopian Ambassador to British, Fisseha Tegegn said. The plan has gained the acceptance of the Ethiopian Government, according to Ambassador Fisseha. The implementation of the plan would bring about significant change in the tourism sector of Ethiopia. The woman who initiated the establishment of the forum has so far sent more than half a million educational books to Ethiopia, Ambassador Fisseha said. Some members of the group are also working to improve the curriculum of health institutions in Ethiopia, he said. Prime Minister Meles has commended the goodwill and support of the Britons and said the Ethiopian Government would provide the necessary support to their efforts. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has met and held discussions with members of the Ethiopian National Consensus Forum and the Ethiopian business community in Britain on a range of national issues. The Ethiopians have forwarded a number of questions related to food security, agricultural produces market, water resources development and investment, for which Prime Minister Meles gave answers, according to Ambassador Fisseha. Board prepares new code of conduct for election executives ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) says it has prepared a new code of conduct for election executives. Civic Education and Training Senior Expert with NEBE, Mekonnen Wondimu told ENA yesterday that the new code of conduct was initially extracted from the previous election execution procedure. The experiences of various countries electoral institutions have been incorporated in the document, he said. Mekonnen said the idea is to enable election executives to strictly observe the electoral law and execution procedures. It would also help election executives to discharge their responsibilities in an efficient, independent, impartial and transparent manner, he added. East African countries found power pool, select Addis HQ by Yemane Terefe ADDIS ABABA - The Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP) which includes nine countries of the region, was officially founded yesterday selecting Addis Ababa as its headquarter and Kenyan Mine and Energy Minister chairperson for the coming one year. Speaking at the founding ceremony of EAPP at the ECA, State Minister of Infrastructure Haile Assegide said that development of a regional power market requires the establishment of a power pool to realize the potential benefits within individual country networks to the mutual economic advantage of all the interconnected countries. The State Minister also said as the World Energy Council 2003 report shows, the region has technically exploitable hydropower potential of approximately 1,900 kwh/yr, which constitutes about 16 per cent of world hydropower potential. Out of this potential, 60 per cent is concentrated in nine East African countries, the major share being the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. However, only 2.3 per cent had been exploited so far, he added. According to Haile, cooperation in establishing cross-border interconnection and associated electricity exchange in Africa can be tracedback to 1950's. "However, there is very limited power trading between Eastern African countries, such as Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. In the coming few years, Ethiopia will interconnect with Sudan and Djibouti," the State Minister said. He further indicated that the regional energy cooperation and integration is one of the most promising and profitable options to further develop the East African Region energy sector. He added that the benefits of power trade among countries is related to cost saving in the supply of power as compared to the cost of independent expansion of national power systems. Mr. Mrastus J.O Mwencha, Secretary General of COMESA, on his part said that when countries act jointly they can realize economies of scale and enhance regional and international competitiveness of export products. He added that the presence of regional ministers to officially sign the inter-governmental MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) of the East African Power Pool demonstrates the resolve of the governments of Eastern Africa to provide a forum for regional solutions to energy problems which face the energy market in the region. The member countries of EAPP that signed the 14-article document are: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. Ethiopia exerting rigorous efforts to get out of poverty: D/Speaker ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples' Representatives says rigorous efforts were in progress in a bid to extricate Ethiopia from poverty and ensure food security. Dr. Petros Olango and members of Women's Affairs Standing Committee with the House held talks yesterday with female MPs in the Swedish Parliament. The establishment of democratic system would speed up efforts being made to lift up the country from poverty and ensure food security, the deputy speaker said on the occasion. He said the democratization system in the country is being pursued with the establishment of appropriate institutions. All segments of the society are involved in the building up of the democratic system; he said adding capacity building activities are in progress in all sectors. He said a new constitution has been put in place following the overthrow of the military government 14 years ago. Preparations were in full swing to conduct national elections across the country for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Councils, he said, adding, numerous opposition parties as well as the ruling EPRDF were running in the elections. The number of opposition parties in the current parliament was very small, Petros said, adding their seats could rise depending on the outcome of the upcoming national elections. The ruling party has decided to raise the ratio of women candidates to 30 per cent in the May 2005 national elections, Dr. Pertros said. Participation of citizens in elections was increasing, he said adding over 23 million voters registered for the upcoming elections. Members of the Sweden parliament raised various questions, among others, land administration in the country, women's ratio in the current parliament, primary education and health coverage. Dr. Petros said that land is a public property administered by the government, yet the farmers would be issued with land holding guarantee certificates. The farmer has the right to give out the land in rent, pass to a third party as well as other rights, he said. Females constitute 7.1 percent in the current parliament, he said, adding the figure would rise after the next elections. Primary education coverage has reached 70 per cent, Petros said, adding the gap in ratio of male and female in terms of access to education was narrowing owing to the special focus given to female students. Members of the Swedish parliament on their part briefed their counterparts. They said they were drawn from four different political parties in parliament. Female constitute 47 per cent in the Swedish parliament and seven parties have shared the seats in the parliament, they said. The Social Democratic Party is the ruling party in the country with 144 seats, according to the parliamentarians. ================================ Pol.ethiopia Feb. 25,2005 ================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From polethiopia at yahoo.com Mon Feb 28 16:00:07 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Feb 27 14:15:39 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050228140007.82694.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> February 26, 2005 Tony Blair Africa Commission work successful: Meles ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who is one of Tony Blair's Commission for Africa, has described the commission's work as successful and constructive. Joined in a press briefing by fellow Commissioners at the end of the Commission's 3rd meeting in London Thursday Meles said that the document prepared by the Commission to help alleviate problems in the African continent. The meeting endorsed the document, which serves as a springboard to devise a mechanism to alleviate problems in Africa. The implementation of the priorities identified in the document, Meles said, will determine the continent's future. He called on the giant international media establishments, such as the BBC, to play their roles to make the issue of Africa to take a centre-stage in the international arena. According to Meles, if the international mass media give Africa the level of coverage they gave to the tsunami-hit Asia, the continent will for sure, receive enough attention to bring about change. Meles called on British Prime Ministry Tony Blair to pressurize the G8 group, into alleviating the problems of Africa. Tony Blair on his part said that the document will help Africa become a strong and prosperous continent. Debt cancellation for Africa, the creation of a more sound partnership between Africa and the rich nations, forging trade and investment partnership and the need to increase development aid to Africa were among the agenda discussed. Before having been endorsed, the document was tabled for discussions at a number of platforms including in America, Europe and Asia. Prime Minister Meles, who headed to London directly from Qatar where he paid a two-day official visit, returned home yesterday after attending the Commission for Africa meeting. Ministry says stepping up efforts crucial to secure economic benefits ADDIS ABABA - The Ministry of Information said there has been a steady growth in the number of investors engaged in various sectors since the launching of transparent, efficient and accountable service in all government institutions. According to the weekly statement the ministry issued yesterday, Ethiopia has a wide range of investment opportunities and there are vast untapped resources in the agriculture, construction, textile and other sectors to reward investors and benefit the country. The ever expanding and strengthening good relations between Ethiopia and countries of the world are among the vital factors attracting foreign investors, the statement said, adding that the country's amicable relations with others have been expedited as a result of the viable foreign policy. The efforts undertaken to consolidate sustainable peace, good governance and the government's commitment in establishing friendly ties with various countries have registered promising results, it said. The statement finally said that to wipe out poverty and backwardness from the country once and for all, it is imperative to strengthen and sustain the efficient, transparent and accountable service delivery. 55 political parties to contest upcoming elections ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The National Electoral Board (NEB) announced that 55 political parties would be contesting the upcoming national elections scheduled to be held in May 2005. Initiative Africa, a civic organization, on its part says that it would publicize candidature symbols in the form of posters. Existing and new political parties have been certified to contest the elections, Acting Registrar of Political Party Registration Office with the Board, Mekonnen Wondimu told ENA yesterday. He said 27 state and national political parties have fielded candidates for the elections. Some 31 parties have received 67 candidature symbols to contest for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Council, he said. He further indicated that parties and candidates have launched electioneering via the mass media and other platforms. Meanwhile, Initiative Africa, a civic organization, has requested the Board to support the campaigning activity, the acting registrar said. The organization has announced plan to print posters bearing candidature symbols to enable the electorate know the contesting parties, Wondimu said. He said the Board would permit the organization the undertake the activity on condition that it would publicize the symbols of all political parties impartiality. The Board would facilitate conditions to enable the organization get candidature symbols of all political parties, he said. Wondimu said 17 new candidature symbols have been submitted to the Board by the political parties. Candidates contesting for seats in the HPR and State Council in the Gambella State have also begun election campaign, the States' Election Coordinator said. Ouchan Oukelo said Thursday that 91 party and independent candidates have begun canvassing for votes. He said that 85 of the candidates were fielded by the Gambella Peoples' Democratic Movement (GPDM) and the rest are independents. According to the Coordinator, 87 of the candidates would contest for seats in the State Council and for the rest for HPR. He said 12 of the candidates are women. Similarly, 97 party and independent candidates in Arsi Zone have begun electioneering, Zonal Election Office said. Arsi Zone Election Coordinator Asrat Haile told ENA yesterday that of the 97 candidates, 35 will contest for the State Council and the rest for HPR. According to the coordinator, some 35 women candidates have been conducting election campaign after receiving candidature IDs. Asrat said that the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization, All Ethiopian Unity Party, Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, Oromo Liberation National Party, Oromo Liberation Liberation Unity Front, Oromo Abo Liberation Front, Geda System Advancement Party and the Oromo National Congress have fielded 92 candidates at ten constituencies. Some five independent candidates have also launched election campaign, the coordinator added. Some 99 candidates who have received IDs to run for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives or the State Council in the May 2005 elections have also launched election campaigning in Assosa Zone, Benshangul Gumuz State, the Zonal Election Coordinator said. One candidate complained of having been cancelled out of contention in the election. The Coordinator Asfaw Mammo said among the campaigners in nine said constituencies, 66 are fielded by the Benshangul-Gumuz Democratic Unity Front (BGDUF), All Ethiopia Unity Party (AEUP) and Ethiopian Democratic Party-Medhin (UEDP-Medhin) while 33 are private contenders. Meanwhile, Jamila Usman, an independent candidate contesting for a seat in the State Council in Assosa Constituency, appealed that she has been cancelled out after receiving candidature ID. Election Coordinator of the woreda's respective constituency Eshete Zeleke said she was cancelled out in line with the Electoral Law that says contenders in an election constituency should not exceed 12 and priority must be given to those representing political parties. He said, nine party candidates have thus passed on directly. Lot was cast to determine the three qualifiers out of the four independent candidates, which Jamila Usman was not lucky to win. February 27, 2005 Millennium Development Programme officially launched in Hawzen HAWZEN (ENA) - A five-year United Nation's Millennium Development Programme pilot project has been officially launched in Koraro kebele, Hawzen Woreda in Tigray State. Special advisor of UN's Secretary General and Millennium Development Programme Director, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs has officially announced the launching of the programme in the kebele as a pilot project. Discussing with residents of the kebele, Sachs indicated UN's commitment to support and work with the public in areas of food security, health, safe water, irrigation, and other infrastructural facilities. The Director said the project includes school-feeding programmes expansion of internet service facilities in schools and providing the necessary health service facilities for mothers and children. With full determination and participation of the public tangible results would be observed in these areas in two years period, he added. The Director, Federal and State government officials and Millenium Development Programme officials have visited the health post, Primary school and rivers in the kebele. Kebele administrator, Birhanu Assefa on his part expressed the readiness of the public to contribute their share towards the achievement of the development plans. Similarly, Chief of the Tigray State Tsegaye Berehe has urged the public to work hard for the realization of the programmes. State Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Belay Ejigu, Tigray State Council Speaker Dr. Solomon Enquai and other officials attended the launching ceremony. Union secures 43 mln. birr income ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Oromia Coffee Farmers' Cooperatives' Union said it has secured 43 million birr income through exporting coffee to the international market over the past six months. Union Manager, Tadesse Meskela said the union has exported 1,900 tonnes of coffee during the stated period. According to the Manager, the past Ethiopian budget year the union has secured 45.3 million birr in sales from exports of 2,500 tons of coffee to the international market. He said the union has secured only 8 million birr in profits due to lingering coffee price fall. The Manager said the farmers and cooperatives under the union have been highly encouraged with the certificate the union received as organic coffee producer. In a related development, the manager said, the union has established a project in Holland which will be officially launched on March 17, 2005. The project would have significant role in promoting Ethiopian coffee to consumers abroad, as the company would engage in packing and supplying Ethiopian coffee to different institutions and companies in Holland, Tadesse said. The union according to Tadesse has planned to open 17 coffee shops in England in the next three years with the support of Green Development Foundation, a non-governmental organization engaged in supporting farmers. The union has so far constructed four schools, two health posts and two potable warier facilities in Abaya and Bulehora woredas of Borena Zone. The union had exported 126 tonnes of coffee and obtained only 2.2 million birr when it was established in 1991 E.C, the manager recalled. Currently, the manager said the union has 74 member cooperatives with nine million birr aggregate capital and over 50,000 hectares of coffee plantation. University students air grievances ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Students' council representatives of a number of universities in the country have complained that they were denied their constitutional right of casting votes in the campuses they pursue their education. The Students' council representatives told ENA Friday that though the Electoral Law stipulates that any citizen that lived in a given locality for six months, has the right to elect the very right, which they said, the Board denied them. According to the council representatives, every student has taken a firm stand on the need to cast votes at his/her respective campuses for candidates of their choice. The students have threatened to file charges against the Electoral Board should it fail to respect what they said is their constitutional right. They have also urged the Board to apologize for its negligence. The Board earlier announced that if facilitated ways to enable students of higher learning who have come too far away from home to return to their respective constituencies to cast votes. ============================= Pol.ethiopia Feb.28,2005 =================== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From polethiopia at yahoo.com Thu Feb 3 14:46:00 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:19:42 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050203124601.96818.qmail@web53301.mail.yahoo.com> February 1, 2005 Oppositions boycott electoral debate on urban development by Shimelis Meressa ADDIS ABABA - The electoral debate on urban development that was scheduled to be held among four political parties last Sunday failed to take place due to the boycotting of two political parties on the allegation of supporters prohibition to enter the conference hall. The debate which was organized by Inter-Africa Group was due to be held among the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Ethiopian Pan Africanist Party (EPAP), Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and Coalition of Ethiopian Democratic Forces (CEFG) but disrupted because of the last two parties' (CUD and CEDF) and the organizers difference on how to let supports of parties to the conference hall. CUD representatives told the gathering that their party has no intention of dealing with the programme in the absence of its crowds, which they said is a violation of human rights. Accordingly, they walked out of the debate at the onset. CEDF representative Dr. Beyene Petros on his part said that in spite of his party's agreement on the procedure that only allows 10 supporters of each party, his party doesn't want to deal with the debate because the organizers didn't stick to the agreement. In addition, Dr. Beyene said the change in the procedure must have been announced to the general public through the mass media live on TV and radio. Representing EPRDF, Minister of Federal Affairs Abay Tsehaye indicated that if the parties' intention is to reach the general public by coming up with new sound policies to get supporters, the procedure limiting the number of attendants in a conference hall is genuine. However, if the intention is to get many supporters, the crowds' clap through emotion and irrelevant noises while the debate is in progress, is undemocratic, he added. He said that Inter Africa's procedure is not against democratic order and the public could not lose any human right if the debate is held among the political parties according to the scheduled programme with few supporters of each party because it is customary in all other developed country's too. EPAP representatives on their part said that their party is willing to undertake the debate and use every possible opportunities of this kind to reach in to its supporters. They said it is wise enough to be tolerant if democracy and good governance are to flourish in this country. Inter Africa Group representatives on their part said that they came up with the current decision based on their past experiences. They said the undemocratic ways of supporter's behaviors like clapping hands, producing hissing sounds and murmuring while the parties elaborate on their policies and strategies to all Ethiopians forced them to change the order. According to the organizers, the debate is not meant only for few Addis Ababa's who get the chance of attending the debate in the conference centre but also to the whole Ethiopians who eagerly wait them through TV and radio. The organizers told the gathering that they have tried their level best to convince these parties especially CUD to select ten of its supporters but it refused they said. They also indicated that they are ready to discuss on the procedures before similar debates take place. Finally, the organizers and the parties reached agreement to undertake the debate on urban development some other time. U.S. Ambassador pledges enhanced support in food security endeavours ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Aurelia E. Brazeal has pledged the readiness of her government to further its support in the food security endeavours in Ethiopia. Ambassador Brazeal made the pledge after visiting the Chewaka voluntary resettlement site in Bedele Woreda, Illubabor Zone of the Oromia State. She visited the infrastructure facilities at the resettlement site including schools and health institutions. She said the U.S. Government would enhance its support in the activities the Ethiopian Government has launched to ensure food security. She said the various crops the farmers have managed to harvest is indicative of the success of the programme in moving people from drought-prone areas to fertile ones. Chief of the Oromia State Juneidi Sado on its part said the resettlement programme implementation was paying off. The resettles presented Brazeal and Juneidi with honey they harvested for the first time at their new homes. Chewaka resettlement site houses nearly 80,000 resettles who had moved from drought-phone areas of East Hararghe and Arsi zones. Sudan electricity exportation study underway ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) announced a model agreement study is being conducted to export electricity to the Sudan. The power line to be installed from Ethiopia to the Sudan is expected to stretch 450 kilometres, Corporation General Manager Mihret Debebe told ENA. The project is part of the Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Programme (ENSAP) of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), he added. Project Manager Tesfaye Batu on his part said that the project would be extended upto Egypt. Most of the Nile riparian countries will import their hydroelectric generation capacity from Ethiopia. Ethiopia is exerting maximum efforts to translate the study into practice, he added. The on-going study is aimed at renewing and strengthening an earlier agreement reached between the two countries ten years back, he said. EEPCo and the counterpart organization in the Sudan will conduct the study on their own expenses. The World Bank has pledged to provide the fund required for the implementation of the project when the study is completed, he added. A similar project is in progress in Djibouti for whose implementation the African Development Bank has agreed to provide 60 million US dollars. The Ethio-Sudan electricity export agreement study is expected to be completed within the coming few months. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding providing for the exportation of electricity for the second time in 2001. EPRDF Electoral Committee criticizes CUD walk out ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Electoral Committee of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) said that failure on the part of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) to participate in last Sunday's debate shows that the coalition does not have any alternative political, economic and social programmes to present to the electorate. The Committee said that the representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate because they have not had an alternative programme me and they could not challenge the programme of the EPRDF, which it said, is on the right track of change. In a statement it sent to ENA yesterday, the Committee said that the representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate under the pretext of the prohibition of 100 people from entering the venue. Pointing out that it is only through heavy sacrifices that such an opportunity is created both in the country and three parts of the world, the Committee said that any political party, which claims to pay sacrifices for democracy, should strive to benefit from this very political forum (debate). The representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate with no adequate reasons, it said. The members of the Coalition had reached at a decision to notify that they may boycott the national elections, even at the polling day while at the same time they kept on claiming to win in the elections, it said. The Committee would be obliged to question whether the aim of the opposition party is tarnishing the process of elections fearing that defeat is inevitable for them. Pointing out that EPRDF is doing its level best to make the upcoming national elections free and fair the Committee said that it has offered training on the election to all its members on its election code of conduct. The amended electoral law, early launching of election campaigns and fair use of the mass media by political parties to campaign serve as testimonies that the Front is committed to make the elections democratic. Earlier, the debate organizers said, there had been an agreement among the parties involved to limit attendance to ten supporters each. February 2, 2005 Democracy in Ethiopia steadily evolving as nation prepares for third national elections: Meles ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says that the ruling party EPRDF will work together with opposition parties and the international community to have a successful democratic elections. Voting of the third democratic elections in the country is scheduled to b held in May, except the Somali State, where voting will take place in August this year. Meles, who is Commissioner of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Commission for Africa and Co-Chair of the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA), said democracy in Ethiopia said democracy in Ethiopia has been steadily evolving in the right direction. "Obviously, democracy in Ethiopia, as on the rest of the continent, is a work in progress," Meles told All Africa's Reed Kramer in an interview during GCA forum held just recently here in Addis Ababa - the AU Headquarter and seat of some important international organization. Describing the system of democracy in Ethiopia as one "very recognizable", Meles said, "We have over sixty opposition political parties and most of them have so far indicated that they want to participate. Over the past two to three months, we've had intensive debates through the public media on issues of concern to the Ethiopian electorate…" which he hoped will continue right up to the polling-day. Asked if opponents have a case in alleging lack of access to the media, Meles pointed our that over 80 magazines and newspapers are in circulation in Ethiopia, most of them, he said, espousing the ideals of the opposition parties, and which the ruling party does not control access to. "As far as the public media is concerned, every Sunday for several hours, we have had debates about the issues that the electorate is concerned about." Moreover, for the election process, the Ministry of Information has allocated air time and newspaper space to the parties, he said. EPRDF, which has well over 85 per cent of seats in Parliament, has been given 44 per cent of airtime, and the opposition parties, with less than 12 seats taking 56 per cent of the allocated airtime. "If anybody has the right to complain, it would be the ruling party," Meles said. In justification to the recent call he made for quadrupled aid to Ethiopia by donors, Meles said an independent study by a respected international body has identified Ethiopia as being able to use additional resources effectively, citing a World Bank Study which puts Ethiopia in the list of ten countries that can effectively use additional development assistance. "Ethiopia is getting, in per capita terms, half of the average aid [received by] sub-Saharan African countries… The fact that we get half as much as the average African countries seems to indicate that we need to get more," Meles told All Africa.com.. If it came, the priorities for that aid would be infrastructure and rural development, he indicated. Asked to evaluate the profress of the campaign against HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, Meles said it was encouraging that the infection rates have stabilized, but there was recognition of the need to be more aggressive. "We unveiled a more aggressive, more comprehensive strategy of tackling HIV/AIDS, which includes provision of anti-retroviral, provision of voluntary (counseling and testing) in combination with preventive work. On the whole, I am encouraged, but I also recognize that we face a very serious challenge and we have to preempt it." He said Ethiopia is working in concert with the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which he described as most helpful. The United States has also been very helpful, and many of our other development partners have chipped in too." Responding to a question on the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Prime Minister Meles said, "…the dispute is not a border dispute alone… Eritrea has been independent de facto since 1991, and dejure since 1993. Between 1991 and 1997, we had excellent relations with Eritrea, despite the fact that we did not have a boundary that was formally demarcated." "…If we are looking at the possibilities of sustainable peace, we have to address the border issue. But we have to go beyond the border issue and address the root cause of the conflict, and this has to do with the economic, political, and social ties between the two countries." "What we have suggested is to do both: address the border issue and also address the root causes of the conflict through normalization between the two countries. Dialogue on both." In the five-point peace proposal, Ethiopia has expressed acceptance "in principle" of the boundary commission's decision, for it is legally binding. "However, when you go from delimitation to demarcation, the normal process is that you make adjustments. There is no border on earth that has been demarcated without adjustments to the delimitation decision. There are technical reasons for it. You have to have line of sight does not follow the map of the delimitation decision. "There are also political reasons for adjustments, and these political reasons for adjustments are recognized by the boundary commission itself." Meles quoted the boundary commission as saying that there were "anomalies and impracticalities" in the decisions. Asked to address the anomalies and impracticalities, the boundary commission said it does not have a mandate, and that if it was given the mandate, it would address them. "We are saying let's talk, so we can address these impracticalities and anomalies and can then have a real, lasting demarcation of the boundary. That's why we need dialogue on both normalization and implementation of the boundary commission decision," Meles said. Asked to respond to the allegation that too much money is spent on the military, and not enough for development, Meles countered by recalling that Ethiopia, after the war with Eritrea had ended, demobilized unilaterally. "… In the first year, we cut our defense budget by half. Since then, in absolute terms, it has been going down continuously, and that's recognized by the international community." Meles said, "Obviously, we would like to reduce the defense expenditure to as close to zero as possible. But, that is going to take some time, because we live next door… to Eritrea… We cannot unilaterally disarm. The first time we tried that, before 1998, we paid for it." Concerning the cooperation between Ethiopia and the U.S., Meles described the relations as excellent for many years, particularly the past four years, and that they are still very good. "We are confident that they will continue to be as excellent as they have been in the past. OFDM set to changing parliamentary system NEKEMPTE (WIC) - The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) Sunday announced that it would change the prevailing parliamentary system to a presidential one should it win the upcoming elections. Speaking at a conference called by the Movement to introduce its programme to the inhabitants of Nekempte town, Bulcha Demekessa, Chairman of the Movement said his party will introduce a presidential order where the president is elected directly by the people by changing the constitution. The chairman, who opposes the parliamentary system for failing to ensure power to the Oromo people, argued that a presidential order would guarantee power to the Oromo people, as they are the majority in the country. He also described the existing federal system as a tutelary one for it has obstructed the people from governing themselves. Bulcha vowed to scrap it and introduce genuine federal system to the country should his party win the election. The chairman further said the Oromo language would be made a lingua franca, adding that land should be owned by the public and not by the government; thus promising to introduce private ownership of land. Bulcha argued that the Oromo, the South, Benshangul-Gumuz, Gambella and Somali people are the most exploited and marginalized in Ethiopian; and called upon them to actively participate in the upcoming elections so as to peacefully remove the successive oppressive governments. AU Assembly decides to hold Mid-term Assembly in Addis, adopts resolutions ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in Abuja has decided to hold its Mid-term Assembly every year in January in Addis Ababa. The Summit concluded adopting number of resolutions. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi returned home later on Monday after attending the two-day 4th AU Summit. According to the resolution, the January sessions of the Assembly will be held in the last week of January at the AU Headquarters, Addis Ababa, during which the Chairperson of the Assembly will be elected. The Assembly recalls its previous decision in July 2004 in Addis Ababa on the convening of two ordinary sessions of the Assembly every year, which previously was an annual event. It approves that Libya will host the Summit in July 2005. Ethiopia will be hosting the January sessions all the years from 2007 to 2010. The Assembly in July 2006 will be held in Gambia, followed by Ghana, Angola, Madagascar and Egypt in the subsequent years until 2010. It decides that the January Session could be convened, on an exceptional basis, outside the Headquarters, by a decision of the Assembly upon the recommendation of the Commission. "However, such hosting shall not be linked to the Chairmanship of the Union." It decides also to extend the term of office of the Chairperson and the Bureau of the Assembly from July 2005 to January 2006. Concerning the location of AU institutions, the Assembly decides that the African Central Bank shall be located in Western Region, African Investment Bank in Northern Region, African Monetary Fund in Central Region and Court of Justice in Eastern Region. It recalls its previous decision that the Pan African Parliament shall be located in South Africa. The Assembly concluded its deliberations after adopting passing resolutions on Somalia, the Sudan and Conflicts in other parts of the continent. Britain pledges support for peace proposal realization ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - A senior official of the British Government has pledged his country's support for implementation of the five point peace proposal put forward by Ethiopia to resolve the dispute with Eritrea. Italian Undersecretary for the Foreign Affairs also announced that the transportation of the Axum Obelisk will begin early in March. During talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Abuja, Nigeria, Britain's Minister for Africa Chris Mulin said Ethiopia's peace proposal is vital to resolve the border dispute peacefully. The British Government will extend support in the efforts to realize the peace proposal, which has been welcomed by Britain and the international community, Mulin said. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Minister Mulin discussed the cooperation between Ethiopia and Britain as well as international issues. Meanwhile, Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Sen. Alfredo Luigi Mantica has confirmed that transporting of the Axum Obelisk to Ethiopia will begin early in March. During talks with Prime Minister Meles in Abuja, the handing over of the Obelisk will be conducted in line with the pledge made by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the slated timetable. The transportation of the Obelisk will be concluded in three phases, he said, adding the return of the Obelisk to its rightful owners, the peoples of Ethiopia, will be significant to further enhancing the cooperation between Italy and Ethiopia. An Italian high-level trade and investment delegation led by Italian Trade Minister is scheduled to pay a working visit to Ethiopia soon, according to sen. Mantica. The visit is believed to bolster the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of trade and investment, he said. The visit is believed to bolster the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of trade and investment, he said. The visit comes in response to understanding reached with Italian investors during the recent visit by Ethiopian delegation led by Prime Minister Meles to Italy, the Senator said. The visit by Prime Minister Meles to Rome contributed significantly to the upgrading of the cooperation between the two countries, senior government officials of Ethiopia who attended the talks said. ================================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.3,2004 ========================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia at yahoo.com Tue Feb 15 10:39:56 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:19:42 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050215083956.89300.qmail@web53304.mail.yahoo.com> February 13, 2005 EPRDF Council says all-out effort exerted to ensure food security ADDIS ABABA (ENA) The council of the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary and Democratic Front (EPRDF) said that its members at all levels have been exerting all-out effort to ensure security in the next two year. During its two day 3rd regular session opened at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday the Council pointed that encouraging results have been achieved in increasing crop production. The Council reviewed agricultural and rural development activities undertaken over last six month. The Council also assessed results achieved to ensuring food security at household level within 3-5 years were encouraging. The Council also urged that activities that should be undertaken during the main and small rainy (Belg and Meher) seasons need to be strengthened to achieve better results. Stressing the need for the early supply of agricultural inputs and the assignment of professionals, the Council adopted the six-month performance report on agricultural and rural development activities. The Council has also decided that achievements gained in capacity building, trade and industry sectors should be further strengthened, its spokesperson said. The Council had reviewed activities undertaken in rural development, capacity building, and trade and industry sectors over the last six months. Regarding capacity building, the council called upon farmers to actively involve in efforts under way to strengthen farmer's cooperatives. It also said efforts being exerted by the EPRDF in collaboration with the society have registered encouraging results in the education sector. The education coverage in states administrated by the EPRDF has reached period. Concerning investment and trade, the Council assessed that the volume of export during the last six months surpassed that of last year same period by 33 per cent. It said 48,000 citizens also got access to education while 31,417 existing and new small-scale and micro-business have been strengthened. The council said a sum of 72 million birr loan was given to those people who have got access to employment opportunity. I would also discuss reports on good governance and subsidy being provided to relatively developing states and other activities undertaken over the last six months among others. Bob Marley Foundation to build health facility in Shashemene SHASHEMENE (ENA) - The Bbd Marley Foundation announced that it will build a health facility at a cost of 50,000 USD in Shashemene town, 250 kms south of Addis Ababa. The announcement was made by foundation Representative given Forman in speech he delivered at the celebration yesterday of the 60th Birthday Anniversary of Rage King Bob Marley in Shashemne town. The health facility, which will well be equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment, will give health care service to the townspeople, Forman said. He said the Foundation has also planned to undertake other development activities in the town in the future and urged the town administration to extend support for the realization of its plan. He also called upon the Foundation to engage in other development activities in the town and other parts of Oromia. Demisse said Jamaicans could invest in the woreda where 68,000 hectares of land is designated as industrial Zone. He said the twon adminstration named a football field in the towna fter Bob Marley. the towns people accorded warm welcome to Bob's wife Rita Marley and her sons upon arrival in the town three days ago. ================ pol.Ethiopia Feb.15, 2005 ================ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia at yahoo.com Wed Feb 16 15:49:32 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:19:42 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] SCEM@haven.eyrie.org Message-ID: <20050216134932.12329.qmail@web53306.mail.yahoo.com> February 15, 2005 Ethiopian Massively mobilizing domestic resources to achieve MDCs: Meles ADDIS ABABA )ENA) - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says that the country is engaged in a massive effort to effectively mobilize domestic resources with a view to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Opened the partnership Forum on the Second Annual Progress Report of Ethiopia's Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Programme (SDPRD) yesterday, Meles said: "We are aware that the build of the resources required to achieve the MDGs have to be domestic," said. "While we hope that there will be a steep change in both the quantity and quality of the development assistance we get, the key to achieving the MDGs is going to be effective mobilization and utilization of labour resources for development activities, particularly in the rural areas, Meles said. Meles said availability of resources and weak implementation capacity were the two most important challenges Ethiopia has been facing in the efforts to scale-up sustainable development and poverty reduction programmes. There has been improvement in the implementation of the SDPRD during the second year of implantation, Meles said, adding, preliminary indications of the third year of implementation also suggest that these board based improvements have continued. Indeed, Meles added, unless we can overcome the bottlenecks that we have encountered and massively scale-up our programmes, it will be difficult to sustain the good results of the past year or two. With regard to utilization of resources, Meles aid Ethiopia has been identified by the World Bank and the UN MDG team as one of the countries, which can adequately use increased resources flows. Nevertheless, the PM said, "At the moment, Ethiopia gets about half the per capita average in Africa in terms of resource flows and can clearly absorb significantly more than the current Sub-Saharan Africa average. Meles was optimistic that there would be a vertical increase of development assistance to Ethiopia both in quantity and quality. According to Meles, increased external resource flows would limit the pressure on domestic resource mobilization. State Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mekonen Manyazewal said on the occasion that the government has embarked on an aggressive programme to accelerate progress in the areas of education, health, expanding infrastructure, building institutions as well as developing government. He expressed belief that the two-day forum would dwell on achievements, challenges and prospects in the implementation of the SDORP. Development Assistance Group (DAG) Co-Chair, Modibo Toure on the occasion commended Ethiopia for the effort being exerted towards bringing about sustainable development and reduce poverty. "We need to recognize important achievements made during the past year including the 11.6 per cent growth, increases in pro-poor spending in areas such as food security, health and education," Toure said. EPRDF calls upon public to struggle against tendencies affecting electoral process ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - the council of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has called upon the public to persistently struggle against tendencies that would adversely affect the smooth conduct of the May 2005 national elections. The Council made the call in a statement it issued late Sunday while concluding its 3rd Regular Meeting. The statement said that various activities have been carried out over the past six months with a view to holding the national elections in a fair and democratic manner acceptable by the Ethiopian people and the international community as well. The electoral debates with opposition political parties on the basis of the principle of free and equal footing, and efforts made to amend the electoral law upon the demand of opposition political parties have contributed a great deal to making the electoral process democratic, the statement said. Activities carried out for the judicious utilization of the mass media in the election campaign, facilitating the entrance of international observers and the adoption of electoral guideline to build the captivity of members were all successful, according to the statement. Women account 32 per cent of the 499 candidates EPRDF fielded to run for seats in the house of Peoples' Representatives, and 43 per cent of the 1,467 candidates vying for seats in state council seats, the statements said. This was achieved thanks to the implementation of the directions it put in place in terms of gender equity and fairness, the statement said. The council urged administrative bodies at all level and the public at large to exert maximum efforts to consolidate the encouraging achievements in all directions. The statement said the Council also conducted a thorough performance appraisal in the areas of rural development, capacity building, trade, industry and investment as well as organizational and public relations activities carried out in the first half of the budget year. The Council has confirmed that most of the set plans have attained the desired goals during the reported period, and called for strengthening of the achievements gained in the agriculture sector since the last two years. Regarding capacity building, the council called upon farmers to actively involve in efforts underway to strengthen cooperatives. It had also reviewed that efforts launched by the EPRDF in collaboration with the public have registered encouraging results in the education sector, the statement said, adding that education coverage has reached 85.96 per cent in those states being administered by EPRDF. Concerning investment and trade, the Council assessed that the volume of export during the last six months had surpassed that of last year same period by 33 per cent, the statement said. The Council further indicated that 72 million birr loan was given to those people who have got access to employment opportunity. ================== pol.ethiopia FEbruary 16, 2005 ========================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? All your favorites on one personal page – Try My Yahoo! http://my.yahoo.com From polethiopia at yahoo.com Thu Feb 17 13:44:31 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:19:42 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050217114432.2625.qmail@web53302.mail.yahoo.com> February 16, 2005 AACC says preparations finalized for 9th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce (AACC) said it has finalized preparations for the 9th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair to be staged from 17-23 February, 2005 in Addis Ababa. At a press conference held yesterday, Members of AACC management said some 133 local and 31 international organizations are expected to take part in the trade fair. All foreign participants have already arrived in Addis Ababa, they, added. Vice President of the AACC, Eyasu-Work Zafu, Acting Secretary Haile Meskel Abebe and trade fair project coordinator Tamirat Admasu said the event would contribute much to the country's effort to alleviate poverty. Members of AACC management said that different governmental organizations have contributed a lot to make the trade fair a success. The number of local and international organizations that participate in the trade fair has been increasing from time to time, they said. Concerning participation of state governments in the trade fair, they said Tigray and Amhara states would participate for the second time, while the Benshangul-Gumuz and the Southern Nations, nationalities and peoples State will take part in this year's trade fair for the first time. According to management members of AACC, the trade fair would serve as a forum to attract foreign investment by introducing investment opportunities in the country. The trade fair would also create an opportunity for local businessmen to jointly work with foreign investors in the future, they added. Similarly, "AGRIFEX Ethiopia 2005", the first specialized international trade fir in agriculture is expected to be staged in Addis Ababa from June 2-6, 2005. Ethiopian Tourist attractions promotion event held in Austria ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Some Ethiopia's trourist attractions have recently been displayed on a Torurism and Trade Fair organized in Salzburg city, Austria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The Ministry told ENA yesterday that Ethiopian coffee ceremony has been displayed on the three-day fair, which began on February 11, 2005. The briefing made on the unique features of Ethiopian coffee ceremony was also transmitted live on the Salzburg Radio. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony will also be broadcast on Salzburg ORF Television, the Ministry added, The Ministry said other tourist's attractions were also displayed on the fair, adding that the vent has created the opportunity to promote tourist attractions and the good images of the country. The fair was jointly organized by the Ethiopian Embassy in Vienna and an Austrian travel company called GE RIESEN. February 17, 2005 Partnership Forum concludes making recommendations ADDIS ABABA - The two-day partnership Forum on Ethiopia's Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction programme Annual Process report 2003/04 ended Tuesday making various recommendations, according a joint press release the UNDP faxed to the Herald. The recommendation include adding emphasis on promotion of growth that includes the expansion of rural land certification support for market development and investments in rural infrastructure and small towns; consolidate the progress made in access to education by giving due attention to quality issues and completion rates as well as measure to address gender regional disparities. Opening the forum Monday, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said: "While we hope that there will be a steep change in both the quantity and quality of the development assistance we get, the key to achieving the MDGs is going to be the effective mobilization and industrialization of labour resources for development activities, particularly in the rural areas." Party, independent candidates receive IDs ADDIS ABABA (WIC/ENA)- The East Wollega Zone electoral Board Office announced that 11 contestants running for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Council in Nekempte constituency had collected candidature IDs. In addition, IDs were issued to two other independent candidates that solicited the required number of signatures to quality for the contest, he said. Meanwhile, the Oromia Women's Association has called upon women to elect those candidates who promote women's causes. Association's chairperson, Amsale Hunde stressed the need that women should elect those who can struggle for gender equity and ensure women's rights as well as free them from economic dependency. Amsale pointed out that the Association has launched an agitation campaign to enable women to actively participate in the election. Meanwhile, some 78 political party and independent candidates received their symbols, to compete in the May 2005 national elections in Eastern Zone of Tigray State, the zonal election office said. Office Coordinator, Meckonnon Reda said the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the United Ethiopian Democratic Unity party - MEDHIN (EUDP-MEDHIN), The All Ethiopian Unity party (AEUP), Rainbow Ethiopia; Movement for Democracy and Social Justice, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) and three independent candidates received their respective symbols in eight constituencies in the zone. TPLF fielded eight candidates to run for the House of Peoples' Representatives and 32 for the State Council, while UEDP-MEDHIN fielded on for the House of Peoples' Representatives and six for the State Council, the coordinator said. He further said UEDF staged six for the House of Peoples' Representatives and 18 for the State Council while AEUD fielded one candidate to run for the House of Peoples' Representatives and two for the State Council. Meanwhile, candidates representing ten political parties have been fielded in 21 constituencies in Arsi zone of Oromia State, coordinator of the zonal constituency said. Ahmed Abdulahi said Tuesday that 674 political party candidates and ten independent candidates would run for seats in the House of Peoples; representatives, while 112 political party and independent candidates would contest for scats in the State Council. He said the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), the All Ethiopian Unity Party(AEUP), the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), the Oromo Liberation national Party (OLNP), the Geda System Advancement Party (GSAP), the Oromo Liberation Unity Front (OLUF) the All Amhara People's Organization (AAPO), EDUP, the All Ethiopian Democratic Party (AEDP) and the Oromo National Congress (ONL) were the parties contending in the zone. ======================= Pol.Ethiopia Feb.17,2005 ================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Easier than ever with enhanced search. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia at yahoo.com Tue Feb 22 14:53:40 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:19:42 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Itmes Message-ID: <20050222125340.74582.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> February 22, 2005 Experts discuss regional power pool establishment ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Utility and ministry experts from nine African countries began a two-day deliberations here yesterday on the establishment of the Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP). EAPP will be established by electric power corporations (companies) of Ethiopia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and Egypt. Ethiopian State Minister of Infrastructure Haile Assegide told the opening of the meeting that Sub-Saharan Africa in general and Eastern Africa in particular are far behind the rest of the world in terms of infrastructure development and access to electricity and per capita consumption is below the world average. Haile says: "In most countries, the rural population has little or no access to electricity. Ethiopia is no exception. One cannot think of eradicating poverty in the rural area without tackling the issue of rural infrastructure services. Supply of electricity to the rural poor is one of the most important instruments to poverty reduction." He indicated the need to cooperate at regional level and strengthen efforts to optimize the abundant energy potential and maximize output in a bid to fuel the economic development of the region and reduce poverty. He said establishment of EAPP also goes in line with the Mission and objectives of the African Union and NEPAD. Ethiopia has proposed to host the EAPP permanent secretariat. General Manager of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation Mihret Debebe said on his part, that the series of meetings this week by the utility and ministry experts as well as the CEO's and ministers of energy of the respective countries would hopefully culminate in formalizing the establishment of EAPP and setting up of statutory bodies. The Union of Producers, Transporters and Distributors of Electric Power in Africa (UPDEA) has been playing the role of coordination and leadership in the process of the establishment of EAPP. Support in the effort to realize what Mihret described as "important step in the economic integration of the region" came also from the UNECA, the AU and other development partners. "…The establishment of the power pool is not an end in itself," says Mihret. "If the power pool has to function properly, the member utilities have to continue their active participation demonstrated during the establishment phase. The power pool shall function smoothly only through participation of its members." "All regions of the continent except Eastern Africa by now have established there power pools. The next logical stage therefore is to integrate the sub regional power pools to create African Power Pool. East Africa should not be the missing link. We have to make EAPP a reality." The experts are expected to finalize and submit the draft Inter Governmental Memorandum of Understanding to the pertinent Ministers on Thursday for review and signature. Ethiopia aggressively working to implement UNCCD Experience-sharing workshop underway ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopia has been aggressively working towards implementing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which it ratifies in June 1997, Director General of the Environmental Protection Authority said. Ethiopia was in the process of updating the mainstreaming the national action plan into the sustainable development and poverty reduction programme to implement the Convention, Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre-Egziabher said. Dr. Tewolde Berhan was speaking at a sub-regional workshop opened here yesterday to exchange experiences on the context of national reports on the implementation of UNCCD. Ethiopia was also implementing strategies and laws it adopted towards the UNCCD which included among others, environmental policy, conservation strategy, rural development policy and strategy, sustainable development and poverty reduction programme and food security programme, he said. He said devolution of power to district levels, which he said promotes the proper management of renewable environmental resources, was also being implemented successfully. A total of 48 national reports and five sub-regional reports have been submitted to the UNCCD Secretariat, Ambassador Hama Arba Diallo told workshop participants. He said: "The national reports once again manifest that the road to the implementation of the Convention has been very long and a difficult undertaking". "The issues the countries have had to tackle in the process were many and often crosscutting." "… It has been exhibited that at the centre of it all are much deeper underlying forces of socio-economic nature, such as poverty and the subsequent total dependency on natural resources for subsistence by the poor", he indicated. The three-day workshop is expected to be a platform for reviewing, consolidating and sharing experiences, good practices and lessons learnt while implementing the convention. Some 70 representatives of bilateral and international institutions from Eastern and Southern Africa and other stakeholders are in attendance at the workshop jointly organized by IGAD and SADC Secretariats in collaboration with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Bank and UNCCD. Ministry to build university in Axum AXUM (ENA) - A university with an enrolment capacity of over 10,000 students is to be constructed in Axum town, central Tigray zone, Education Vice Minister, Dr. Teshome Yizengaw said. While receiving 100 hectares of land for the construction of the university from the town administration last Friday, Dr. Teshome said the construction work will begin next month. With an enrollment capacity of over 10,000 students, Dr. Teshome said that the university would be of great significance to the public and students in the town. The construction of the university is expected to be finalized in five years time. Officials from woreda and zonal administrations laid the cornerstone with the Vice Minister. =============================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.22,2005 ======================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com From polethiopia at yahoo.com Thu Feb 24 14:55:45 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:19:42 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050224125545.86899.qmail@web53307.mail.yahoo.com> February 23, 2005 Ethiopia, Qatar sign technical, economic cooperation accord Meles meets Qatari businesspersons ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopia and Qatar Monday signed a technical and economic cooperation agreement. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in Doha on an official visit to that Middle Eastern country earlier in the day. During talks with Amir Hamid Bin Kahalifa Eslami in Doha, Prime Minister Meles said the two countries have shown interest to bolster their relations in the areas of trade, investment and tourism. Middle East Affairs Director with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Addis Dilnesa said that although the relations between Ethiopia and Qatar, which commenced in mid 1990s focused on economic and social sectors, it has not brought about the desired results. The Premier's visit to Qatar is believed to cement the relations between the two countries, Addis, who attended the meeting said. The leaders of the two countries conferred on bilateral and other international issues of common interest. The agreement was signed by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin and Qatari First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Bin Jabir Alfani. Meanwhile, Meles has called on Qatari businesspersons to make use of the conducive investment climate prevailing in Ethiopia. Prime Minister Meles told Qatari investors that the Ethiopian Government would provide special support for investors who would engage in selected sectors. Meles, also conferred with members of the country's trade and industry council and investors about trade and investment issues Monday. Foreign investors would benefit if they invest in Ethiopia particularly in agro-industry, leather and leather products as well as in textile sectors, Meles said. There is also a favourable condition for investors who would like to engage in cattle fattening, establishing modern abattoirs, in supplying meat and fodder products, Meles said. The government would provide special incentives for investors who would invest in selected areas of investment, Meles said, adding investors would face no market problem as the country has been given tax and quota free access to the U.S, and European markets. Qatari businesspersons said on the occasion that they would like to visits Ethiopia as their information about the country was very limited, for which Meles said he would make sure that the pertinent ministry arrange an official working visit for Qatari business envoys. Qatar is bordering with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This oil-rich country has a population of eight million with a per capita income of 21,500 dollars. US gov't ready to assist Ethiopian private sector by Yemane Terefe ADDIS ABABA - The United States Ambassador to Ethiopia Aurelia Brazeal said yesterday her government is ready to assist the Ethiopia Private Sector to benefit from the American market. She added that U.S. Ethiopian Commercial relationship is strong and growing. Speaking at the opening of a half-day seminar held at the Hilton Hotel under the title "Doing Business with United States" Ambassador Aurelia Brazeal said that the Government of Ethiopia has made marked progress in a number of important areas, including growth and stability of macroeconomy, education, health, transport and rural land tenures. According to the Ambassador, the US Government supports such reforms, but the effort should continue for further improvement. She added that additional reforms are needed to allow the private sector flourish, and the US looks forward to continuing its partnership with Ethiopian business community and the government for the realization of those reforms. The participants suggested that establishing dialogue between the government and private sector enhances the growth of trade with the aim of capitalizing on opportunities for private sector growth and business expansion. Mr. Addis Alemayehou, AGOA Ethiopia Coordinator, ECA Trade Hub on his part said Ethiopia's export under AGOA to US was 4.8 million USD in 2004 but Kenya did 258 million USD in the same year. According to him, the ECA Trade Hub hired in 2004 an outside consultant to conduct study on AGOA here in Ethiopia and to come up with an AGOS strategy for Ethiopia. The key constraints that consultants came up with why eligible enterprises in Ethiopia cannot take full advantage of AGOA were lack of information on market opportunities in USA, low industrial capacity base, relatively low skilled and trained labour force, lack of proper production management skill and a lot of bureaucratic challenges that hinder benefits from the various government incentives, such as the different lines of credit. Addis indicated that a lot of development works have already taken place in textile garments and apparels sector since 2001. The government of Ethiopia has made some concrete moves towards improving the situation, he said. Representatives of business communities and invited guests were in attendance of the seminar. UNDP, donors grant $1.6 mln. to 24 CSOs for civic, voter education by Shimelis Meressa ADDIS ABABA - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other donors have disclosed that they have awarded 1.6 million USD to 24 organizations that would carry out nationwide civic and voter education in advance of the National Election to be held in the upcoming mid-May 2005. In a joint press briefing by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), donors and UNDP at the UN conference centre yesterday the representatives indicated that the civic and voter education would enhance citizens' knowledge on constitutional electoral rights and responsibilities. Asked about the selection criteria of CSOs and institutions, UNDP, Resident Representative Modibo Toure said that their previous experience in providing civic education, raising public awareness responsiveness to target groups and capacity to plan, organize, implement and report on projects were taken into account. In addition, representatives of the organization, local outreach of networks, relevance of the proposal, coherence of overall design of the proposal and budget and cost-effectives were taken into consideration. Representing NEBE, Chairman of the Board Kemal Bedri has commended UNDP and the donor's support. He said that the process would help the Board open up the election and hold it in a more free and fair manner. It would also enable the international community know better about the democratization process in the country. The chairman has also indicated that the pre-election process has so far been going smoothly and peacefully. The Board has been trying to solve cases that tend to disrupt the democratization process and it would continue doing so. The current assistance to civic and voter education is a major part of the large multi-donor assistance to the 2005 National Elections project supported by many donors, including: Austria, Canada, EC, Finland, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA and UNDP, it was learnt. The donor group is chaired by Sweden and UNDP is doing the facilitating and coordinating role. The total value of the project is over six million USD, information disseminated during the occasion indicated. February 24, 2005 Cuba seeks to strengthen economic, political ties with Ethiopia ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Cuban Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs says that his country was desirous of further strengthening economic and political ties with Ethiopia. During talks with Speaker of the House of the Federation Dr. Mulatu Teshome yesterday, Manuel Aguileria Dela Paz expressed his country's desire to further bolster bilateral ties with Ethiopia. Cuban professionals have been helping human resource development efforts in Ethiopia in various sectors, he said. High profile Cuban physicians have also been providing services in rural Ethiopia, he added. The Summit of the Non-aligned Movement, to which Ethiopia and Cuba are founding members, is scheduled to be held in Havanna, in 2006, the Minister said, adding that the two countries can work together to further strengthen the Movement. House Speaker Dr. Mulatu said on his part that the relations between the two countries should be enhanced in people-to-people ties. He said Ethiopia needs further support from Cuba, particularly in the education sector development, for which Cuban teachers, professors and doctors could play significant role sharing their expertise with Ethiopian counterparts. Moreover, Dr. Mulatu said that Cuban support and experience is sought to promote the sugar industry in Ethiopia. Meanwhile, the Embassy of Cuba in Ethiopia said, the cooperation between the governments of Ethiopia and Cuba in the economic and social sectors have been gathering momentum. In a press statement she gave here yesterday in connection with the visit to Ethiopia of Cuban Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Embassy Counselor Lopa Sanchez Lorenzo said the cooperation between the two countries has bolstered in the areas, mainly of health, education and sports. The counselor said the Cuban Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs met senior officials of the Ethiopian Government during which the two sides assessed implementation of cooperation agreements between the two countries in the economic and social sectors. She said the consultation made ever since the establishment of the Ethio-Cuba Parliamentary Friendship team were successful, adding the two countries will exchange visits this year to further enhance the cooperation between the two countries. Cuba is known for its intervention in the sugar industry construction activities in Ethiopia, she said, adding the delegation led by the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs had discussed with pertinent bodies on ways of expanding sugarcane plantation in Ethiopia. Cuba is desirous to further enhance the cooperation between the two countries particularly in the areas of education, health, sports and culture, she indicated. Not less that 5,000 Ethiopians have studied higher education in various professional streams in Cuba previously, she said, adding 100 Cuban professionals have been providing services in Ethiopia to date. The Cuban delegation led by Vice Minister Manuel AGuileria Dela Paz, which arrived on Monday on a two day visit here for home yesterday. Meles in London to attend 3rd Commission for Africa meeting ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in London yesterday to take part in the 3rd meeting of the Commission for Africa. The meeting to be opened today is expected to finalize a document containing Africa's demands to be submitted to the G8 group. Meles, who is one of the 17 commissioners of Tony Blair's Commission for Africa, headed directly to London after concluding a two-day official visit to Qatar. The Commission was established to find ways to help Africa catch with the pace towards development and prosperity. As current chair of the G8 group and the EU, Britain pledges to make Africa the priority agenda in both the multilateral fronts. The Commission thus sees hope that 2005 provides a fat opportunity to creating the ways to bringing Africa in the track of change. =================================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.24,2005 ========================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From polethiopia at yahoo.com Fri Feb 25 15:44:06 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:19:42 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050225134407.75159.qmail@web53306.mail.yahoo.com> February 25, 2005 Commission for Africa Meet opens Britons to promote Ethiopian tourism ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The 3rd Meeting of the Commission for Africa, which was established by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, opened in London yesterday. The meeting, which is being held in closed session and attended by the 17 commissioners including Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, was expected to finalize an African Document that would be tabled at the Summit of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrial countries and to the European Union. The document expected to come out of the meeting of the Commission for Africa aims at making relations between Africa and the industrial countries to be based on partnership. In a press briefing they gave prior to the meeting, five members of the Commission said the rich countries should give equal attention to Africa as they gave to victims of the tsunami disaster in Asia. The situation of African people is worse than those of the tsunami victims, the Tanzanian Commissioner Anakajumulu Tibayjika said, adding the plights of Africans should also be heard. The General Assembly of the United Nations, in its meeting in September 2005, is expected to review the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aims to halve absolute poverty by 2015, so that it could conform to the situation of Africa. The African Document which is expected to be finalized could facilitate the cancellation of most of the debts of African countries and the raising of the quality and quantity of development assistance to Africa. Although Africa has been registering growth in trade and investment, the growth is still insignificant compared to other countries of the world, according to a document issued by the Commission. Meanwhile, British friends of Ethiopia said they would work towards changing the image of Ethiopia through the promotion of tourism. Members of Ethiopian Think-tank group, a forum of friends of Ethiopia, said while conferring with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi at the Ethiopian Embassy in London that they have also been actively engaged in the support of Ethiopia in the education and health sector. The Britons have also expressed desire to contribute to Ethiopia's social development by employing their expertise. The Ethiopian Think-tank group, which comprises renowned film actors, journalists and individuals, was established in November last year, under the initiative of Miss Renberg, in collaboration with the Embassy of Ethiopia in London. Among the prominent Britons, the special advisor of the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization had come up with a plan that would enable boost the tourism industry in Ethiopia, Ethiopian Ambassador to British, Fisseha Tegegn said. The plan has gained the acceptance of the Ethiopian Government, according to Ambassador Fisseha. The implementation of the plan would bring about significant change in the tourism sector of Ethiopia. The woman who initiated the establishment of the forum has so far sent more than half a million educational books to Ethiopia, Ambassador Fisseha said. Some members of the group are also working to improve the curriculum of health institutions in Ethiopia, he said. Prime Minister Meles has commended the goodwill and support of the Britons and said the Ethiopian Government would provide the necessary support to their efforts. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has met and held discussions with members of the Ethiopian National Consensus Forum and the Ethiopian business community in Britain on a range of national issues. The Ethiopians have forwarded a number of questions related to food security, agricultural produces market, water resources development and investment, for which Prime Minister Meles gave answers, according to Ambassador Fisseha. Board prepares new code of conduct for election executives ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) says it has prepared a new code of conduct for election executives. Civic Education and Training Senior Expert with NEBE, Mekonnen Wondimu told ENA yesterday that the new code of conduct was initially extracted from the previous election execution procedure. The experiences of various countries electoral institutions have been incorporated in the document, he said. Mekonnen said the idea is to enable election executives to strictly observe the electoral law and execution procedures. It would also help election executives to discharge their responsibilities in an efficient, independent, impartial and transparent manner, he added. East African countries found power pool, select Addis HQ by Yemane Terefe ADDIS ABABA - The Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP) which includes nine countries of the region, was officially founded yesterday selecting Addis Ababa as its headquarter and Kenyan Mine and Energy Minister chairperson for the coming one year. Speaking at the founding ceremony of EAPP at the ECA, State Minister of Infrastructure Haile Assegide said that development of a regional power market requires the establishment of a power pool to realize the potential benefits within individual country networks to the mutual economic advantage of all the interconnected countries. The State Minister also said as the World Energy Council 2003 report shows, the region has technically exploitable hydropower potential of approximately 1,900 kwh/yr, which constitutes about 16 per cent of world hydropower potential. Out of this potential, 60 per cent is concentrated in nine East African countries, the major share being the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. However, only 2.3 per cent had been exploited so far, he added. According to Haile, cooperation in establishing cross-border interconnection and associated electricity exchange in Africa can be tracedback to 1950's. "However, there is very limited power trading between Eastern African countries, such as Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. In the coming few years, Ethiopia will interconnect with Sudan and Djibouti," the State Minister said. He further indicated that the regional energy cooperation and integration is one of the most promising and profitable options to further develop the East African Region energy sector. He added that the benefits of power trade among countries is related to cost saving in the supply of power as compared to the cost of independent expansion of national power systems. Mr. Mrastus J.O Mwencha, Secretary General of COMESA, on his part said that when countries act jointly they can realize economies of scale and enhance regional and international competitiveness of export products. He added that the presence of regional ministers to officially sign the inter-governmental MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) of the East African Power Pool demonstrates the resolve of the governments of Eastern Africa to provide a forum for regional solutions to energy problems which face the energy market in the region. The member countries of EAPP that signed the 14-article document are: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. Ethiopia exerting rigorous efforts to get out of poverty: D/Speaker ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples' Representatives says rigorous efforts were in progress in a bid to extricate Ethiopia from poverty and ensure food security. Dr. Petros Olango and members of Women's Affairs Standing Committee with the House held talks yesterday with female MPs in the Swedish Parliament. The establishment of democratic system would speed up efforts being made to lift up the country from poverty and ensure food security, the deputy speaker said on the occasion. He said the democratization system in the country is being pursued with the establishment of appropriate institutions. All segments of the society are involved in the building up of the democratic system; he said adding capacity building activities are in progress in all sectors. He said a new constitution has been put in place following the overthrow of the military government 14 years ago. Preparations were in full swing to conduct national elections across the country for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Councils, he said, adding, numerous opposition parties as well as the ruling EPRDF were running in the elections. The number of opposition parties in the current parliament was very small, Petros said, adding their seats could rise depending on the outcome of the upcoming national elections. The ruling party has decided to raise the ratio of women candidates to 30 per cent in the May 2005 national elections, Dr. Pertros said. Participation of citizens in elections was increasing, he said adding over 23 million voters registered for the upcoming elections. Members of the Sweden parliament raised various questions, among others, land administration in the country, women's ratio in the current parliament, primary education and health coverage. Dr. Petros said that land is a public property administered by the government, yet the farmers would be issued with land holding guarantee certificates. The farmer has the right to give out the land in rent, pass to a third party as well as other rights, he said. Females constitute 7.1 percent in the current parliament, he said, adding the figure would rise after the next elections. Primary education coverage has reached 70 per cent, Petros said, adding the gap in ratio of male and female in terms of access to education was narrowing owing to the special focus given to female students. Members of the Swedish parliament on their part briefed their counterparts. They said they were drawn from four different political parties in parliament. Female constitute 47 per cent in the Swedish parliament and seven parties have shared the seats in the parliament, they said. The Social Democratic Party is the ruling party in the country with 144 seats, according to the parliamentarians. ================================ Pol.ethiopia Feb. 25,2005 ================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From polethiopia at yahoo.com Mon Feb 28 16:00:07 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Tue Apr 17 18:19:42 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050228140007.82694.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> February 26, 2005 Tony Blair Africa Commission work successful: Meles ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who is one of Tony Blair's Commission for Africa, has described the commission's work as successful and constructive. Joined in a press briefing by fellow Commissioners at the end of the Commission's 3rd meeting in London Thursday Meles said that the document prepared by the Commission to help alleviate problems in the African continent. The meeting endorsed the document, which serves as a springboard to devise a mechanism to alleviate problems in Africa. The implementation of the priorities identified in the document, Meles said, will determine the continent's future. He called on the giant international media establishments, such as the BBC, to play their roles to make the issue of Africa to take a centre-stage in the international arena. According to Meles, if the international mass media give Africa the level of coverage they gave to the tsunami-hit Asia, the continent will for sure, receive enough attention to bring about change. Meles called on British Prime Ministry Tony Blair to pressurize the G8 group, into alleviating the problems of Africa. Tony Blair on his part said that the document will help Africa become a strong and prosperous continent. Debt cancellation for Africa, the creation of a more sound partnership between Africa and the rich nations, forging trade and investment partnership and the need to increase development aid to Africa were among the agenda discussed. Before having been endorsed, the document was tabled for discussions at a number of platforms including in America, Europe and Asia. Prime Minister Meles, who headed to London directly from Qatar where he paid a two-day official visit, returned home yesterday after attending the Commission for Africa meeting. Ministry says stepping up efforts crucial to secure economic benefits ADDIS ABABA - The Ministry of Information said there has been a steady growth in the number of investors engaged in various sectors since the launching of transparent, efficient and accountable service in all government institutions. According to the weekly statement the ministry issued yesterday, Ethiopia has a wide range of investment opportunities and there are vast untapped resources in the agriculture, construction, textile and other sectors to reward investors and benefit the country. The ever expanding and strengthening good relations between Ethiopia and countries of the world are among the vital factors attracting foreign investors, the statement said, adding that the country's amicable relations with others have been expedited as a result of the viable foreign policy. The efforts undertaken to consolidate sustainable peace, good governance and the government's commitment in establishing friendly ties with various countries have registered promising results, it said. The statement finally said that to wipe out poverty and backwardness from the country once and for all, it is imperative to strengthen and sustain the efficient, transparent and accountable service delivery. 55 political parties to contest upcoming elections ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The National Electoral Board (NEB) announced that 55 political parties would be contesting the upcoming national elections scheduled to be held in May 2005. Initiative Africa, a civic organization, on its part says that it would publicize candidature symbols in the form of posters. Existing and new political parties have been certified to contest the elections, Acting Registrar of Political Party Registration Office with the Board, Mekonnen Wondimu told ENA yesterday. He said 27 state and national political parties have fielded candidates for the elections. Some 31 parties have received 67 candidature symbols to contest for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Council, he said. He further indicated that parties and candidates have launched electioneering via the mass media and other platforms. Meanwhile, Initiative Africa, a civic organization, has requested the Board to support the campaigning activity, the acting registrar said. The organization has announced plan to print posters bearing candidature symbols to enable the electorate know the contesting parties, Wondimu said. He said the Board would permit the organization the undertake the activity on condition that it would publicize the symbols of all political parties impartiality. The Board would facilitate conditions to enable the organization get candidature symbols of all political parties, he said. Wondimu said 17 new candidature symbols have been submitted to the Board by the political parties. Candidates contesting for seats in the HPR and State Council in the Gambella State have also begun election campaign, the States' Election Coordinator said. Ouchan Oukelo said Thursday that 91 party and independent candidates have begun canvassing for votes. He said that 85 of the candidates were fielded by the Gambella Peoples' Democratic Movement (GPDM) and the rest are independents. According to the Coordinator, 87 of the candidates would contest for seats in the State Council and for the rest for HPR. He said 12 of the candidates are women. Similarly, 97 party and independent candidates in Arsi Zone have begun electioneering, Zonal Election Office said. Arsi Zone Election Coordinator Asrat Haile told ENA yesterday that of the 97 candidates, 35 will contest for the State Council and the rest for HPR. According to the coordinator, some 35 women candidates have been conducting election campaign after receiving candidature IDs. Asrat said that the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization, All Ethiopian Unity Party, Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, Oromo Liberation National Party, Oromo Liberation Liberation Unity Front, Oromo Abo Liberation Front, Geda System Advancement Party and the Oromo National Congress have fielded 92 candidates at ten constituencies. Some five independent candidates have also launched election campaign, the coordinator added. Some 99 candidates who have received IDs to run for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives or the State Council in the May 2005 elections have also launched election campaigning in Assosa Zone, Benshangul Gumuz State, the Zonal Election Coordinator said. One candidate complained of having been cancelled out of contention in the election. The Coordinator Asfaw Mammo said among the campaigners in nine said constituencies, 66 are fielded by the Benshangul-Gumuz Democratic Unity Front (BGDUF), All Ethiopia Unity Party (AEUP) and Ethiopian Democratic Party-Medhin (UEDP-Medhin) while 33 are private contenders. Meanwhile, Jamila Usman, an independent candidate contesting for a seat in the State Council in Assosa Constituency, appealed that she has been cancelled out after receiving candidature ID. Election Coordinator of the woreda's respective constituency Eshete Zeleke said she was cancelled out in line with the Electoral Law that says contenders in an election constituency should not exceed 12 and priority must be given to those representing political parties. He said, nine party candidates have thus passed on directly. Lot was cast to determine the three qualifiers out of the four independent candidates, which Jamila Usman was not lucky to win. February 27, 2005 Millennium Development Programme officially launched in Hawzen HAWZEN (ENA) - A five-year United Nation's Millennium Development Programme pilot project has been officially launched in Koraro kebele, Hawzen Woreda in Tigray State. Special advisor of UN's Secretary General and Millennium Development Programme Director, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs has officially announced the launching of the programme in the kebele as a pilot project. Discussing with residents of the kebele, Sachs indicated UN's commitment to support and work with the public in areas of food security, health, safe water, irrigation, and other infrastructural facilities. The Director said the project includes school-feeding programmes expansion of internet service facilities in schools and providing the necessary health service facilities for mothers and children. With full determination and participation of the public tangible results would be observed in these areas in two years period, he added. The Director, Federal and State government officials and Millenium Development Programme officials have visited the health post, Primary school and rivers in the kebele. Kebele administrator, Birhanu Assefa on his part expressed the readiness of the public to contribute their share towards the achievement of the development plans. Similarly, Chief of the Tigray State Tsegaye Berehe has urged the public to work hard for the realization of the programmes. State Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Belay Ejigu, Tigray State Council Speaker Dr. Solomon Enquai and other officials attended the launching ceremony. Union secures 43 mln. birr income ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Oromia Coffee Farmers' Cooperatives' Union said it has secured 43 million birr income through exporting coffee to the international market over the past six months. Union Manager, Tadesse Meskela said the union has exported 1,900 tonnes of coffee during the stated period. According to the Manager, the past Ethiopian budget year the union has secured 45.3 million birr in sales from exports of 2,500 tons of coffee to the international market. He said the union has secured only 8 million birr in profits due to lingering coffee price fall. The Manager said the farmers and cooperatives under the union have been highly encouraged with the certificate the union received as organic coffee producer. In a related development, the manager said, the union has established a project in Holland which will be officially launched on March 17, 2005. The project would have significant role in promoting Ethiopian coffee to consumers abroad, as the company would engage in packing and supplying Ethiopian coffee to different institutions and companies in Holland, Tadesse said. The union according to Tadesse has planned to open 17 coffee shops in England in the next three years with the support of Green Development Foundation, a non-governmental organization engaged in supporting farmers. The union has so far constructed four schools, two health posts and two potable warier facilities in Abaya and Bulehora woredas of Borena Zone. The union had exported 126 tonnes of coffee and obtained only 2.2 million birr when it was established in 1991 E.C, the manager recalled. Currently, the manager said the union has 74 member cooperatives with nine million birr aggregate capital and over 50,000 hectares of coffee plantation. University students air grievances ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Students' council representatives of a number of universities in the country have complained that they were denied their constitutional right of casting votes in the campuses they pursue their education. The Students' council representatives told ENA Friday that though the Electoral Law stipulates that any citizen that lived in a given locality for six months, has the right to elect the very right, which they said, the Board denied them. According to the council representatives, every student has taken a firm stand on the need to cast votes at his/her respective campuses for candidates of their choice. The students have threatened to file charges against the Electoral Board should it fail to respect what they said is their constitutional right. They have also urged the Board to apologize for its negligence. The Board earlier announced that if facilitated ways to enable students of higher learning who have come too far away from home to return to their respective constituencies to cast votes. ============================= Pol.ethiopia Feb.28,2005 =================== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From polethiopia at yahoo.com Thu Feb 3 14:46:00 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Wed May 23 11:06:16 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050203124601.96818.qmail@web53301.mail.yahoo.com> February 1, 2005 Oppositions boycott electoral debate on urban development by Shimelis Meressa ADDIS ABABA - The electoral debate on urban development that was scheduled to be held among four political parties last Sunday failed to take place due to the boycotting of two political parties on the allegation of supporters prohibition to enter the conference hall. The debate which was organized by Inter-Africa Group was due to be held among the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Ethiopian Pan Africanist Party (EPAP), Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and Coalition of Ethiopian Democratic Forces (CEFG) but disrupted because of the last two parties' (CUD and CEDF) and the organizers difference on how to let supports of parties to the conference hall. CUD representatives told the gathering that their party has no intention of dealing with the programme in the absence of its crowds, which they said is a violation of human rights. Accordingly, they walked out of the debate at the onset. CEDF representative Dr. Beyene Petros on his part said that in spite of his party's agreement on the procedure that only allows 10 supporters of each party, his party doesn't want to deal with the debate because the organizers didn't stick to the agreement. In addition, Dr. Beyene said the change in the procedure must have been announced to the general public through the mass media live on TV and radio. Representing EPRDF, Minister of Federal Affairs Abay Tsehaye indicated that if the parties' intention is to reach the general public by coming up with new sound policies to get supporters, the procedure limiting the number of attendants in a conference hall is genuine. However, if the intention is to get many supporters, the crowds' clap through emotion and irrelevant noises while the debate is in progress, is undemocratic, he added. He said that Inter Africa's procedure is not against democratic order and the public could not lose any human right if the debate is held among the political parties according to the scheduled programme with few supporters of each party because it is customary in all other developed country's too. EPAP representatives on their part said that their party is willing to undertake the debate and use every possible opportunities of this kind to reach in to its supporters. They said it is wise enough to be tolerant if democracy and good governance are to flourish in this country. Inter Africa Group representatives on their part said that they came up with the current decision based on their past experiences. They said the undemocratic ways of supporter's behaviors like clapping hands, producing hissing sounds and murmuring while the parties elaborate on their policies and strategies to all Ethiopians forced them to change the order. According to the organizers, the debate is not meant only for few Addis Ababa's who get the chance of attending the debate in the conference centre but also to the whole Ethiopians who eagerly wait them through TV and radio. The organizers told the gathering that they have tried their level best to convince these parties especially CUD to select ten of its supporters but it refused they said. They also indicated that they are ready to discuss on the procedures before similar debates take place. Finally, the organizers and the parties reached agreement to undertake the debate on urban development some other time. U.S. Ambassador pledges enhanced support in food security endeavours ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Aurelia E. Brazeal has pledged the readiness of her government to further its support in the food security endeavours in Ethiopia. Ambassador Brazeal made the pledge after visiting the Chewaka voluntary resettlement site in Bedele Woreda, Illubabor Zone of the Oromia State. She visited the infrastructure facilities at the resettlement site including schools and health institutions. She said the U.S. Government would enhance its support in the activities the Ethiopian Government has launched to ensure food security. She said the various crops the farmers have managed to harvest is indicative of the success of the programme in moving people from drought-prone areas to fertile ones. Chief of the Oromia State Juneidi Sado on its part said the resettlement programme implementation was paying off. The resettles presented Brazeal and Juneidi with honey they harvested for the first time at their new homes. Chewaka resettlement site houses nearly 80,000 resettles who had moved from drought-phone areas of East Hararghe and Arsi zones. Sudan electricity exportation study underway ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPCo) announced a model agreement study is being conducted to export electricity to the Sudan. The power line to be installed from Ethiopia to the Sudan is expected to stretch 450 kilometres, Corporation General Manager Mihret Debebe told ENA. The project is part of the Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Programme (ENSAP) of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), he added. Project Manager Tesfaye Batu on his part said that the project would be extended upto Egypt. Most of the Nile riparian countries will import their hydroelectric generation capacity from Ethiopia. Ethiopia is exerting maximum efforts to translate the study into practice, he added. The on-going study is aimed at renewing and strengthening an earlier agreement reached between the two countries ten years back, he said. EEPCo and the counterpart organization in the Sudan will conduct the study on their own expenses. The World Bank has pledged to provide the fund required for the implementation of the project when the study is completed, he added. A similar project is in progress in Djibouti for whose implementation the African Development Bank has agreed to provide 60 million US dollars. The Ethio-Sudan electricity export agreement study is expected to be completed within the coming few months. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding providing for the exportation of electricity for the second time in 2001. EPRDF Electoral Committee criticizes CUD walk out ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Electoral Committee of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) said that failure on the part of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) to participate in last Sunday's debate shows that the coalition does not have any alternative political, economic and social programmes to present to the electorate. The Committee said that the representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate because they have not had an alternative programme me and they could not challenge the programme of the EPRDF, which it said, is on the right track of change. In a statement it sent to ENA yesterday, the Committee said that the representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate under the pretext of the prohibition of 100 people from entering the venue. Pointing out that it is only through heavy sacrifices that such an opportunity is created both in the country and three parts of the world, the Committee said that any political party, which claims to pay sacrifices for democracy, should strive to benefit from this very political forum (debate). The representatives of the Coalition walked out of the debate with no adequate reasons, it said. The members of the Coalition had reached at a decision to notify that they may boycott the national elections, even at the polling day while at the same time they kept on claiming to win in the elections, it said. The Committee would be obliged to question whether the aim of the opposition party is tarnishing the process of elections fearing that defeat is inevitable for them. Pointing out that EPRDF is doing its level best to make the upcoming national elections free and fair the Committee said that it has offered training on the election to all its members on its election code of conduct. The amended electoral law, early launching of election campaigns and fair use of the mass media by political parties to campaign serve as testimonies that the Front is committed to make the elections democratic. Earlier, the debate organizers said, there had been an agreement among the parties involved to limit attendance to ten supporters each. February 2, 2005 Democracy in Ethiopia steadily evolving as nation prepares for third national elections: Meles ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says that the ruling party EPRDF will work together with opposition parties and the international community to have a successful democratic elections. Voting of the third democratic elections in the country is scheduled to b held in May, except the Somali State, where voting will take place in August this year. Meles, who is Commissioner of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Commission for Africa and Co-Chair of the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA), said democracy in Ethiopia said democracy in Ethiopia has been steadily evolving in the right direction. "Obviously, democracy in Ethiopia, as on the rest of the continent, is a work in progress," Meles told All Africa's Reed Kramer in an interview during GCA forum held just recently here in Addis Ababa - the AU Headquarter and seat of some important international organization. Describing the system of democracy in Ethiopia as one "very recognizable", Meles said, "We have over sixty opposition political parties and most of them have so far indicated that they want to participate. Over the past two to three months, we've had intensive debates through the public media on issues of concern to the Ethiopian electorate…" which he hoped will continue right up to the polling-day. Asked if opponents have a case in alleging lack of access to the media, Meles pointed our that over 80 magazines and newspapers are in circulation in Ethiopia, most of them, he said, espousing the ideals of the opposition parties, and which the ruling party does not control access to. "As far as the public media is concerned, every Sunday for several hours, we have had debates about the issues that the electorate is concerned about." Moreover, for the election process, the Ministry of Information has allocated air time and newspaper space to the parties, he said. EPRDF, which has well over 85 per cent of seats in Parliament, has been given 44 per cent of airtime, and the opposition parties, with less than 12 seats taking 56 per cent of the allocated airtime. "If anybody has the right to complain, it would be the ruling party," Meles said. In justification to the recent call he made for quadrupled aid to Ethiopia by donors, Meles said an independent study by a respected international body has identified Ethiopia as being able to use additional resources effectively, citing a World Bank Study which puts Ethiopia in the list of ten countries that can effectively use additional development assistance. "Ethiopia is getting, in per capita terms, half of the average aid [received by] sub-Saharan African countries… The fact that we get half as much as the average African countries seems to indicate that we need to get more," Meles told All Africa.com.. If it came, the priorities for that aid would be infrastructure and rural development, he indicated. Asked to evaluate the profress of the campaign against HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, Meles said it was encouraging that the infection rates have stabilized, but there was recognition of the need to be more aggressive. "We unveiled a more aggressive, more comprehensive strategy of tackling HIV/AIDS, which includes provision of anti-retroviral, provision of voluntary (counseling and testing) in combination with preventive work. On the whole, I am encouraged, but I also recognize that we face a very serious challenge and we have to preempt it." He said Ethiopia is working in concert with the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which he described as most helpful. The United States has also been very helpful, and many of our other development partners have chipped in too." Responding to a question on the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Prime Minister Meles said, "…the dispute is not a border dispute alone… Eritrea has been independent de facto since 1991, and dejure since 1993. Between 1991 and 1997, we had excellent relations with Eritrea, despite the fact that we did not have a boundary that was formally demarcated." "…If we are looking at the possibilities of sustainable peace, we have to address the border issue. But we have to go beyond the border issue and address the root cause of the conflict, and this has to do with the economic, political, and social ties between the two countries." "What we have suggested is to do both: address the border issue and also address the root causes of the conflict through normalization between the two countries. Dialogue on both." In the five-point peace proposal, Ethiopia has expressed acceptance "in principle" of the boundary commission's decision, for it is legally binding. "However, when you go from delimitation to demarcation, the normal process is that you make adjustments. There is no border on earth that has been demarcated without adjustments to the delimitation decision. There are technical reasons for it. You have to have line of sight does not follow the map of the delimitation decision. "There are also political reasons for adjustments, and these political reasons for adjustments are recognized by the boundary commission itself." Meles quoted the boundary commission as saying that there were "anomalies and impracticalities" in the decisions. Asked to address the anomalies and impracticalities, the boundary commission said it does not have a mandate, and that if it was given the mandate, it would address them. "We are saying let's talk, so we can address these impracticalities and anomalies and can then have a real, lasting demarcation of the boundary. That's why we need dialogue on both normalization and implementation of the boundary commission decision," Meles said. Asked to respond to the allegation that too much money is spent on the military, and not enough for development, Meles countered by recalling that Ethiopia, after the war with Eritrea had ended, demobilized unilaterally. "… In the first year, we cut our defense budget by half. Since then, in absolute terms, it has been going down continuously, and that's recognized by the international community." Meles said, "Obviously, we would like to reduce the defense expenditure to as close to zero as possible. But, that is going to take some time, because we live next door… to Eritrea… We cannot unilaterally disarm. The first time we tried that, before 1998, we paid for it." Concerning the cooperation between Ethiopia and the U.S., Meles described the relations as excellent for many years, particularly the past four years, and that they are still very good. "We are confident that they will continue to be as excellent as they have been in the past. OFDM set to changing parliamentary system NEKEMPTE (WIC) - The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) Sunday announced that it would change the prevailing parliamentary system to a presidential one should it win the upcoming elections. Speaking at a conference called by the Movement to introduce its programme to the inhabitants of Nekempte town, Bulcha Demekessa, Chairman of the Movement said his party will introduce a presidential order where the president is elected directly by the people by changing the constitution. The chairman, who opposes the parliamentary system for failing to ensure power to the Oromo people, argued that a presidential order would guarantee power to the Oromo people, as they are the majority in the country. He also described the existing federal system as a tutelary one for it has obstructed the people from governing themselves. Bulcha vowed to scrap it and introduce genuine federal system to the country should his party win the election. The chairman further said the Oromo language would be made a lingua franca, adding that land should be owned by the public and not by the government; thus promising to introduce private ownership of land. Bulcha argued that the Oromo, the South, Benshangul-Gumuz, Gambella and Somali people are the most exploited and marginalized in Ethiopian; and called upon them to actively participate in the upcoming elections so as to peacefully remove the successive oppressive governments. AU Assembly decides to hold Mid-term Assembly in Addis, adopts resolutions ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in Abuja has decided to hold its Mid-term Assembly every year in January in Addis Ababa. The Summit concluded adopting number of resolutions. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi returned home later on Monday after attending the two-day 4th AU Summit. According to the resolution, the January sessions of the Assembly will be held in the last week of January at the AU Headquarters, Addis Ababa, during which the Chairperson of the Assembly will be elected. The Assembly recalls its previous decision in July 2004 in Addis Ababa on the convening of two ordinary sessions of the Assembly every year, which previously was an annual event. It approves that Libya will host the Summit in July 2005. Ethiopia will be hosting the January sessions all the years from 2007 to 2010. The Assembly in July 2006 will be held in Gambia, followed by Ghana, Angola, Madagascar and Egypt in the subsequent years until 2010. It decides that the January Session could be convened, on an exceptional basis, outside the Headquarters, by a decision of the Assembly upon the recommendation of the Commission. "However, such hosting shall not be linked to the Chairmanship of the Union." It decides also to extend the term of office of the Chairperson and the Bureau of the Assembly from July 2005 to January 2006. Concerning the location of AU institutions, the Assembly decides that the African Central Bank shall be located in Western Region, African Investment Bank in Northern Region, African Monetary Fund in Central Region and Court of Justice in Eastern Region. It recalls its previous decision that the Pan African Parliament shall be located in South Africa. The Assembly concluded its deliberations after adopting passing resolutions on Somalia, the Sudan and Conflicts in other parts of the continent. Britain pledges support for peace proposal realization ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - A senior official of the British Government has pledged his country's support for implementation of the five point peace proposal put forward by Ethiopia to resolve the dispute with Eritrea. Italian Undersecretary for the Foreign Affairs also announced that the transportation of the Axum Obelisk will begin early in March. During talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Abuja, Nigeria, Britain's Minister for Africa Chris Mulin said Ethiopia's peace proposal is vital to resolve the border dispute peacefully. The British Government will extend support in the efforts to realize the peace proposal, which has been welcomed by Britain and the international community, Mulin said. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Minister Mulin discussed the cooperation between Ethiopia and Britain as well as international issues. Meanwhile, Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Sen. Alfredo Luigi Mantica has confirmed that transporting of the Axum Obelisk to Ethiopia will begin early in March. During talks with Prime Minister Meles in Abuja, the handing over of the Obelisk will be conducted in line with the pledge made by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the slated timetable. The transportation of the Obelisk will be concluded in three phases, he said, adding the return of the Obelisk to its rightful owners, the peoples of Ethiopia, will be significant to further enhancing the cooperation between Italy and Ethiopia. An Italian high-level trade and investment delegation led by Italian Trade Minister is scheduled to pay a working visit to Ethiopia soon, according to sen. Mantica. The visit is believed to bolster the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of trade and investment, he said. The visit is believed to bolster the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of trade and investment, he said. The visit comes in response to understanding reached with Italian investors during the recent visit by Ethiopian delegation led by Prime Minister Meles to Italy, the Senator said. The visit by Prime Minister Meles to Rome contributed significantly to the upgrading of the cooperation between the two countries, senior government officials of Ethiopia who attended the talks said. ================================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.3,2004 ========================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia at yahoo.com Tue Feb 15 10:39:56 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Wed May 23 11:06:16 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050215083956.89300.qmail@web53304.mail.yahoo.com> February 13, 2005 EPRDF Council says all-out effort exerted to ensure food security ADDIS ABABA (ENA) The council of the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary and Democratic Front (EPRDF) said that its members at all levels have been exerting all-out effort to ensure security in the next two year. During its two day 3rd regular session opened at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday the Council pointed that encouraging results have been achieved in increasing crop production. The Council reviewed agricultural and rural development activities undertaken over last six month. The Council also assessed results achieved to ensuring food security at household level within 3-5 years were encouraging. The Council also urged that activities that should be undertaken during the main and small rainy (Belg and Meher) seasons need to be strengthened to achieve better results. Stressing the need for the early supply of agricultural inputs and the assignment of professionals, the Council adopted the six-month performance report on agricultural and rural development activities. The Council has also decided that achievements gained in capacity building, trade and industry sectors should be further strengthened, its spokesperson said. The Council had reviewed activities undertaken in rural development, capacity building, and trade and industry sectors over the last six months. Regarding capacity building, the council called upon farmers to actively involve in efforts under way to strengthen farmer's cooperatives. It also said efforts being exerted by the EPRDF in collaboration with the society have registered encouraging results in the education sector. The education coverage in states administrated by the EPRDF has reached period. Concerning investment and trade, the Council assessed that the volume of export during the last six months surpassed that of last year same period by 33 per cent. It said 48,000 citizens also got access to education while 31,417 existing and new small-scale and micro-business have been strengthened. The council said a sum of 72 million birr loan was given to those people who have got access to employment opportunity. I would also discuss reports on good governance and subsidy being provided to relatively developing states and other activities undertaken over the last six months among others. Bob Marley Foundation to build health facility in Shashemene SHASHEMENE (ENA) - The Bbd Marley Foundation announced that it will build a health facility at a cost of 50,000 USD in Shashemene town, 250 kms south of Addis Ababa. The announcement was made by foundation Representative given Forman in speech he delivered at the celebration yesterday of the 60th Birthday Anniversary of Rage King Bob Marley in Shashemne town. The health facility, which will well be equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment, will give health care service to the townspeople, Forman said. He said the Foundation has also planned to undertake other development activities in the town in the future and urged the town administration to extend support for the realization of its plan. He also called upon the Foundation to engage in other development activities in the town and other parts of Oromia. Demisse said Jamaicans could invest in the woreda where 68,000 hectares of land is designated as industrial Zone. He said the twon adminstration named a football field in the towna fter Bob Marley. the towns people accorded warm welcome to Bob's wife Rita Marley and her sons upon arrival in the town three days ago. ================ pol.Ethiopia Feb.15, 2005 ================ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia at yahoo.com Wed Feb 16 15:49:32 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Wed May 23 11:06:16 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] SCEM@haven.eyrie.org Message-ID: <20050216134932.12329.qmail@web53306.mail.yahoo.com> February 15, 2005 Ethiopian Massively mobilizing domestic resources to achieve MDCs: Meles ADDIS ABABA )ENA) - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says that the country is engaged in a massive effort to effectively mobilize domestic resources with a view to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Opened the partnership Forum on the Second Annual Progress Report of Ethiopia's Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Programme (SDPRD) yesterday, Meles said: "We are aware that the build of the resources required to achieve the MDGs have to be domestic," said. "While we hope that there will be a steep change in both the quantity and quality of the development assistance we get, the key to achieving the MDGs is going to be effective mobilization and utilization of labour resources for development activities, particularly in the rural areas, Meles said. Meles said availability of resources and weak implementation capacity were the two most important challenges Ethiopia has been facing in the efforts to scale-up sustainable development and poverty reduction programmes. There has been improvement in the implementation of the SDPRD during the second year of implantation, Meles said, adding, preliminary indications of the third year of implementation also suggest that these board based improvements have continued. Indeed, Meles added, unless we can overcome the bottlenecks that we have encountered and massively scale-up our programmes, it will be difficult to sustain the good results of the past year or two. With regard to utilization of resources, Meles aid Ethiopia has been identified by the World Bank and the UN MDG team as one of the countries, which can adequately use increased resources flows. Nevertheless, the PM said, "At the moment, Ethiopia gets about half the per capita average in Africa in terms of resource flows and can clearly absorb significantly more than the current Sub-Saharan Africa average. Meles was optimistic that there would be a vertical increase of development assistance to Ethiopia both in quantity and quality. According to Meles, increased external resource flows would limit the pressure on domestic resource mobilization. State Minister of Finance and Economic Development Mekonen Manyazewal said on the occasion that the government has embarked on an aggressive programme to accelerate progress in the areas of education, health, expanding infrastructure, building institutions as well as developing government. He expressed belief that the two-day forum would dwell on achievements, challenges and prospects in the implementation of the SDORP. Development Assistance Group (DAG) Co-Chair, Modibo Toure on the occasion commended Ethiopia for the effort being exerted towards bringing about sustainable development and reduce poverty. "We need to recognize important achievements made during the past year including the 11.6 per cent growth, increases in pro-poor spending in areas such as food security, health and education," Toure said. EPRDF calls upon public to struggle against tendencies affecting electoral process ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - the council of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has called upon the public to persistently struggle against tendencies that would adversely affect the smooth conduct of the May 2005 national elections. The Council made the call in a statement it issued late Sunday while concluding its 3rd Regular Meeting. The statement said that various activities have been carried out over the past six months with a view to holding the national elections in a fair and democratic manner acceptable by the Ethiopian people and the international community as well. The electoral debates with opposition political parties on the basis of the principle of free and equal footing, and efforts made to amend the electoral law upon the demand of opposition political parties have contributed a great deal to making the electoral process democratic, the statement said. Activities carried out for the judicious utilization of the mass media in the election campaign, facilitating the entrance of international observers and the adoption of electoral guideline to build the captivity of members were all successful, according to the statement. Women account 32 per cent of the 499 candidates EPRDF fielded to run for seats in the house of Peoples' Representatives, and 43 per cent of the 1,467 candidates vying for seats in state council seats, the statements said. This was achieved thanks to the implementation of the directions it put in place in terms of gender equity and fairness, the statement said. The council urged administrative bodies at all level and the public at large to exert maximum efforts to consolidate the encouraging achievements in all directions. The statement said the Council also conducted a thorough performance appraisal in the areas of rural development, capacity building, trade, industry and investment as well as organizational and public relations activities carried out in the first half of the budget year. The Council has confirmed that most of the set plans have attained the desired goals during the reported period, and called for strengthening of the achievements gained in the agriculture sector since the last two years. Regarding capacity building, the council called upon farmers to actively involve in efforts underway to strengthen cooperatives. It had also reviewed that efforts launched by the EPRDF in collaboration with the public have registered encouraging results in the education sector, the statement said, adding that education coverage has reached 85.96 per cent in those states being administered by EPRDF. Concerning investment and trade, the Council assessed that the volume of export during the last six months had surpassed that of last year same period by 33 per cent, the statement said. The Council further indicated that 72 million birr loan was given to those people who have got access to employment opportunity. ================== pol.ethiopia FEbruary 16, 2005 ========================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? All your favorites on one personal page – Try My Yahoo! http://my.yahoo.com From polethiopia at yahoo.com Thu Feb 17 13:44:31 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Wed May 23 11:06:16 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050217114432.2625.qmail@web53302.mail.yahoo.com> February 16, 2005 AACC says preparations finalized for 9th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce (AACC) said it has finalized preparations for the 9th Addis Chamber International Trade Fair to be staged from 17-23 February, 2005 in Addis Ababa. At a press conference held yesterday, Members of AACC management said some 133 local and 31 international organizations are expected to take part in the trade fair. All foreign participants have already arrived in Addis Ababa, they, added. Vice President of the AACC, Eyasu-Work Zafu, Acting Secretary Haile Meskel Abebe and trade fair project coordinator Tamirat Admasu said the event would contribute much to the country's effort to alleviate poverty. Members of AACC management said that different governmental organizations have contributed a lot to make the trade fair a success. The number of local and international organizations that participate in the trade fair has been increasing from time to time, they said. Concerning participation of state governments in the trade fair, they said Tigray and Amhara states would participate for the second time, while the Benshangul-Gumuz and the Southern Nations, nationalities and peoples State will take part in this year's trade fair for the first time. According to management members of AACC, the trade fair would serve as a forum to attract foreign investment by introducing investment opportunities in the country. The trade fair would also create an opportunity for local businessmen to jointly work with foreign investors in the future, they added. Similarly, "AGRIFEX Ethiopia 2005", the first specialized international trade fir in agriculture is expected to be staged in Addis Ababa from June 2-6, 2005. Ethiopian Tourist attractions promotion event held in Austria ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Some Ethiopia's trourist attractions have recently been displayed on a Torurism and Trade Fair organized in Salzburg city, Austria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The Ministry told ENA yesterday that Ethiopian coffee ceremony has been displayed on the three-day fair, which began on February 11, 2005. The briefing made on the unique features of Ethiopian coffee ceremony was also transmitted live on the Salzburg Radio. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony will also be broadcast on Salzburg ORF Television, the Ministry added, The Ministry said other tourist's attractions were also displayed on the fair, adding that the vent has created the opportunity to promote tourist attractions and the good images of the country. The fair was jointly organized by the Ethiopian Embassy in Vienna and an Austrian travel company called GE RIESEN. February 17, 2005 Partnership Forum concludes making recommendations ADDIS ABABA - The two-day partnership Forum on Ethiopia's Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction programme Annual Process report 2003/04 ended Tuesday making various recommendations, according a joint press release the UNDP faxed to the Herald. The recommendation include adding emphasis on promotion of growth that includes the expansion of rural land certification support for market development and investments in rural infrastructure and small towns; consolidate the progress made in access to education by giving due attention to quality issues and completion rates as well as measure to address gender regional disparities. Opening the forum Monday, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said: "While we hope that there will be a steep change in both the quantity and quality of the development assistance we get, the key to achieving the MDGs is going to be the effective mobilization and industrialization of labour resources for development activities, particularly in the rural areas." Party, independent candidates receive IDs ADDIS ABABA (WIC/ENA)- The East Wollega Zone electoral Board Office announced that 11 contestants running for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Council in Nekempte constituency had collected candidature IDs. In addition, IDs were issued to two other independent candidates that solicited the required number of signatures to quality for the contest, he said. Meanwhile, the Oromia Women's Association has called upon women to elect those candidates who promote women's causes. Association's chairperson, Amsale Hunde stressed the need that women should elect those who can struggle for gender equity and ensure women's rights as well as free them from economic dependency. Amsale pointed out that the Association has launched an agitation campaign to enable women to actively participate in the election. Meanwhile, some 78 political party and independent candidates received their symbols, to compete in the May 2005 national elections in Eastern Zone of Tigray State, the zonal election office said. Office Coordinator, Meckonnon Reda said the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the United Ethiopian Democratic Unity party - MEDHIN (EUDP-MEDHIN), The All Ethiopian Unity party (AEUP), Rainbow Ethiopia; Movement for Democracy and Social Justice, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) and three independent candidates received their respective symbols in eight constituencies in the zone. TPLF fielded eight candidates to run for the House of Peoples' Representatives and 32 for the State Council, while UEDP-MEDHIN fielded on for the House of Peoples' Representatives and six for the State Council, the coordinator said. He further said UEDF staged six for the House of Peoples' Representatives and 18 for the State Council while AEUD fielded one candidate to run for the House of Peoples' Representatives and two for the State Council. Meanwhile, candidates representing ten political parties have been fielded in 21 constituencies in Arsi zone of Oromia State, coordinator of the zonal constituency said. Ahmed Abdulahi said Tuesday that 674 political party candidates and ten independent candidates would run for seats in the House of Peoples; representatives, while 112 political party and independent candidates would contest for scats in the State Council. He said the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), the All Ethiopian Unity Party(AEUP), the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), the Oromo Liberation national Party (OLNP), the Geda System Advancement Party (GSAP), the Oromo Liberation Unity Front (OLUF) the All Amhara People's Organization (AAPO), EDUP, the All Ethiopian Democratic Party (AEDP) and the Oromo National Congress (ONL) were the parties contending in the zone. ======================= Pol.Ethiopia Feb.17,2005 ================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Easier than ever with enhanced search. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From polethiopia at yahoo.com Tue Feb 22 14:53:40 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Wed May 23 11:06:16 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Itmes Message-ID: <20050222125340.74582.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> February 22, 2005 Experts discuss regional power pool establishment ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Utility and ministry experts from nine African countries began a two-day deliberations here yesterday on the establishment of the Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP). EAPP will be established by electric power corporations (companies) of Ethiopia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and Egypt. Ethiopian State Minister of Infrastructure Haile Assegide told the opening of the meeting that Sub-Saharan Africa in general and Eastern Africa in particular are far behind the rest of the world in terms of infrastructure development and access to electricity and per capita consumption is below the world average. Haile says: "In most countries, the rural population has little or no access to electricity. Ethiopia is no exception. One cannot think of eradicating poverty in the rural area without tackling the issue of rural infrastructure services. Supply of electricity to the rural poor is one of the most important instruments to poverty reduction." He indicated the need to cooperate at regional level and strengthen efforts to optimize the abundant energy potential and maximize output in a bid to fuel the economic development of the region and reduce poverty. He said establishment of EAPP also goes in line with the Mission and objectives of the African Union and NEPAD. Ethiopia has proposed to host the EAPP permanent secretariat. General Manager of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation Mihret Debebe said on his part, that the series of meetings this week by the utility and ministry experts as well as the CEO's and ministers of energy of the respective countries would hopefully culminate in formalizing the establishment of EAPP and setting up of statutory bodies. The Union of Producers, Transporters and Distributors of Electric Power in Africa (UPDEA) has been playing the role of coordination and leadership in the process of the establishment of EAPP. Support in the effort to realize what Mihret described as "important step in the economic integration of the region" came also from the UNECA, the AU and other development partners. "…The establishment of the power pool is not an end in itself," says Mihret. "If the power pool has to function properly, the member utilities have to continue their active participation demonstrated during the establishment phase. The power pool shall function smoothly only through participation of its members." "All regions of the continent except Eastern Africa by now have established there power pools. The next logical stage therefore is to integrate the sub regional power pools to create African Power Pool. East Africa should not be the missing link. We have to make EAPP a reality." The experts are expected to finalize and submit the draft Inter Governmental Memorandum of Understanding to the pertinent Ministers on Thursday for review and signature. Ethiopia aggressively working to implement UNCCD Experience-sharing workshop underway ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopia has been aggressively working towards implementing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which it ratifies in June 1997, Director General of the Environmental Protection Authority said. Ethiopia was in the process of updating the mainstreaming the national action plan into the sustainable development and poverty reduction programme to implement the Convention, Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre-Egziabher said. Dr. Tewolde Berhan was speaking at a sub-regional workshop opened here yesterday to exchange experiences on the context of national reports on the implementation of UNCCD. Ethiopia was also implementing strategies and laws it adopted towards the UNCCD which included among others, environmental policy, conservation strategy, rural development policy and strategy, sustainable development and poverty reduction programme and food security programme, he said. He said devolution of power to district levels, which he said promotes the proper management of renewable environmental resources, was also being implemented successfully. A total of 48 national reports and five sub-regional reports have been submitted to the UNCCD Secretariat, Ambassador Hama Arba Diallo told workshop participants. He said: "The national reports once again manifest that the road to the implementation of the Convention has been very long and a difficult undertaking". "The issues the countries have had to tackle in the process were many and often crosscutting." "… It has been exhibited that at the centre of it all are much deeper underlying forces of socio-economic nature, such as poverty and the subsequent total dependency on natural resources for subsistence by the poor", he indicated. The three-day workshop is expected to be a platform for reviewing, consolidating and sharing experiences, good practices and lessons learnt while implementing the convention. Some 70 representatives of bilateral and international institutions from Eastern and Southern Africa and other stakeholders are in attendance at the workshop jointly organized by IGAD and SADC Secretariats in collaboration with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Bank and UNCCD. Ministry to build university in Axum AXUM (ENA) - A university with an enrolment capacity of over 10,000 students is to be constructed in Axum town, central Tigray zone, Education Vice Minister, Dr. Teshome Yizengaw said. While receiving 100 hectares of land for the construction of the university from the town administration last Friday, Dr. Teshome said the construction work will begin next month. With an enrollment capacity of over 10,000 students, Dr. Teshome said that the university would be of great significance to the public and students in the town. The construction of the university is expected to be finalized in five years time. Officials from woreda and zonal administrations laid the cornerstone with the Vice Minister. =============================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.22,2005 ======================= __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Meet the all-new My Yahoo! - Try it today! http://my.yahoo.com From polethiopia at yahoo.com Thu Feb 24 14:55:45 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Wed May 23 11:06:16 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050224125545.86899.qmail@web53307.mail.yahoo.com> February 23, 2005 Ethiopia, Qatar sign technical, economic cooperation accord Meles meets Qatari businesspersons ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopia and Qatar Monday signed a technical and economic cooperation agreement. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in Doha on an official visit to that Middle Eastern country earlier in the day. During talks with Amir Hamid Bin Kahalifa Eslami in Doha, Prime Minister Meles said the two countries have shown interest to bolster their relations in the areas of trade, investment and tourism. Middle East Affairs Director with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Addis Dilnesa said that although the relations between Ethiopia and Qatar, which commenced in mid 1990s focused on economic and social sectors, it has not brought about the desired results. The Premier's visit to Qatar is believed to cement the relations between the two countries, Addis, who attended the meeting said. The leaders of the two countries conferred on bilateral and other international issues of common interest. The agreement was signed by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin and Qatari First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Bin Jabir Alfani. Meanwhile, Meles has called on Qatari businesspersons to make use of the conducive investment climate prevailing in Ethiopia. Prime Minister Meles told Qatari investors that the Ethiopian Government would provide special support for investors who would engage in selected sectors. Meles, also conferred with members of the country's trade and industry council and investors about trade and investment issues Monday. Foreign investors would benefit if they invest in Ethiopia particularly in agro-industry, leather and leather products as well as in textile sectors, Meles said. There is also a favourable condition for investors who would like to engage in cattle fattening, establishing modern abattoirs, in supplying meat and fodder products, Meles said. The government would provide special incentives for investors who would invest in selected areas of investment, Meles said, adding investors would face no market problem as the country has been given tax and quota free access to the U.S, and European markets. Qatari businesspersons said on the occasion that they would like to visits Ethiopia as their information about the country was very limited, for which Meles said he would make sure that the pertinent ministry arrange an official working visit for Qatari business envoys. Qatar is bordering with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This oil-rich country has a population of eight million with a per capita income of 21,500 dollars. US gov't ready to assist Ethiopian private sector by Yemane Terefe ADDIS ABABA - The United States Ambassador to Ethiopia Aurelia Brazeal said yesterday her government is ready to assist the Ethiopia Private Sector to benefit from the American market. She added that U.S. Ethiopian Commercial relationship is strong and growing. Speaking at the opening of a half-day seminar held at the Hilton Hotel under the title "Doing Business with United States" Ambassador Aurelia Brazeal said that the Government of Ethiopia has made marked progress in a number of important areas, including growth and stability of macroeconomy, education, health, transport and rural land tenures. According to the Ambassador, the US Government supports such reforms, but the effort should continue for further improvement. She added that additional reforms are needed to allow the private sector flourish, and the US looks forward to continuing its partnership with Ethiopian business community and the government for the realization of those reforms. The participants suggested that establishing dialogue between the government and private sector enhances the growth of trade with the aim of capitalizing on opportunities for private sector growth and business expansion. Mr. Addis Alemayehou, AGOA Ethiopia Coordinator, ECA Trade Hub on his part said Ethiopia's export under AGOA to US was 4.8 million USD in 2004 but Kenya did 258 million USD in the same year. According to him, the ECA Trade Hub hired in 2004 an outside consultant to conduct study on AGOA here in Ethiopia and to come up with an AGOS strategy for Ethiopia. The key constraints that consultants came up with why eligible enterprises in Ethiopia cannot take full advantage of AGOA were lack of information on market opportunities in USA, low industrial capacity base, relatively low skilled and trained labour force, lack of proper production management skill and a lot of bureaucratic challenges that hinder benefits from the various government incentives, such as the different lines of credit. Addis indicated that a lot of development works have already taken place in textile garments and apparels sector since 2001. The government of Ethiopia has made some concrete moves towards improving the situation, he said. Representatives of business communities and invited guests were in attendance of the seminar. UNDP, donors grant $1.6 mln. to 24 CSOs for civic, voter education by Shimelis Meressa ADDIS ABABA - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other donors have disclosed that they have awarded 1.6 million USD to 24 organizations that would carry out nationwide civic and voter education in advance of the National Election to be held in the upcoming mid-May 2005. In a joint press briefing by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), donors and UNDP at the UN conference centre yesterday the representatives indicated that the civic and voter education would enhance citizens' knowledge on constitutional electoral rights and responsibilities. Asked about the selection criteria of CSOs and institutions, UNDP, Resident Representative Modibo Toure said that their previous experience in providing civic education, raising public awareness responsiveness to target groups and capacity to plan, organize, implement and report on projects were taken into account. In addition, representatives of the organization, local outreach of networks, relevance of the proposal, coherence of overall design of the proposal and budget and cost-effectives were taken into consideration. Representing NEBE, Chairman of the Board Kemal Bedri has commended UNDP and the donor's support. He said that the process would help the Board open up the election and hold it in a more free and fair manner. It would also enable the international community know better about the democratization process in the country. The chairman has also indicated that the pre-election process has so far been going smoothly and peacefully. The Board has been trying to solve cases that tend to disrupt the democratization process and it would continue doing so. The current assistance to civic and voter education is a major part of the large multi-donor assistance to the 2005 National Elections project supported by many donors, including: Austria, Canada, EC, Finland, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA and UNDP, it was learnt. The donor group is chaired by Sweden and UNDP is doing the facilitating and coordinating role. The total value of the project is over six million USD, information disseminated during the occasion indicated. February 24, 2005 Cuba seeks to strengthen economic, political ties with Ethiopia ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Cuban Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs says that his country was desirous of further strengthening economic and political ties with Ethiopia. During talks with Speaker of the House of the Federation Dr. Mulatu Teshome yesterday, Manuel Aguileria Dela Paz expressed his country's desire to further bolster bilateral ties with Ethiopia. Cuban professionals have been helping human resource development efforts in Ethiopia in various sectors, he said. High profile Cuban physicians have also been providing services in rural Ethiopia, he added. The Summit of the Non-aligned Movement, to which Ethiopia and Cuba are founding members, is scheduled to be held in Havanna, in 2006, the Minister said, adding that the two countries can work together to further strengthen the Movement. House Speaker Dr. Mulatu said on his part that the relations between the two countries should be enhanced in people-to-people ties. He said Ethiopia needs further support from Cuba, particularly in the education sector development, for which Cuban teachers, professors and doctors could play significant role sharing their expertise with Ethiopian counterparts. Moreover, Dr. Mulatu said that Cuban support and experience is sought to promote the sugar industry in Ethiopia. Meanwhile, the Embassy of Cuba in Ethiopia said, the cooperation between the governments of Ethiopia and Cuba in the economic and social sectors have been gathering momentum. In a press statement she gave here yesterday in connection with the visit to Ethiopia of Cuban Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Embassy Counselor Lopa Sanchez Lorenzo said the cooperation between the two countries has bolstered in the areas, mainly of health, education and sports. The counselor said the Cuban Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs met senior officials of the Ethiopian Government during which the two sides assessed implementation of cooperation agreements between the two countries in the economic and social sectors. She said the consultation made ever since the establishment of the Ethio-Cuba Parliamentary Friendship team were successful, adding the two countries will exchange visits this year to further enhance the cooperation between the two countries. Cuba is known for its intervention in the sugar industry construction activities in Ethiopia, she said, adding the delegation led by the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs had discussed with pertinent bodies on ways of expanding sugarcane plantation in Ethiopia. Cuba is desirous to further enhance the cooperation between the two countries particularly in the areas of education, health, sports and culture, she indicated. Not less that 5,000 Ethiopians have studied higher education in various professional streams in Cuba previously, she said, adding 100 Cuban professionals have been providing services in Ethiopia to date. The Cuban delegation led by Vice Minister Manuel AGuileria Dela Paz, which arrived on Monday on a two day visit here for home yesterday. Meles in London to attend 3rd Commission for Africa meeting ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi arrived in London yesterday to take part in the 3rd meeting of the Commission for Africa. The meeting to be opened today is expected to finalize a document containing Africa's demands to be submitted to the G8 group. Meles, who is one of the 17 commissioners of Tony Blair's Commission for Africa, headed directly to London after concluding a two-day official visit to Qatar. The Commission was established to find ways to help Africa catch with the pace towards development and prosperity. As current chair of the G8 group and the EU, Britain pledges to make Africa the priority agenda in both the multilateral fronts. The Commission thus sees hope that 2005 provides a fat opportunity to creating the ways to bringing Africa in the track of change. =================================== Pol.ethiopia Feb.24,2005 ========================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From polethiopia at yahoo.com Fri Feb 25 15:44:06 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Wed May 23 11:06:16 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050225134407.75159.qmail@web53306.mail.yahoo.com> February 25, 2005 Commission for Africa Meet opens Britons to promote Ethiopian tourism ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The 3rd Meeting of the Commission for Africa, which was established by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, opened in London yesterday. The meeting, which is being held in closed session and attended by the 17 commissioners including Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, was expected to finalize an African Document that would be tabled at the Summit of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrial countries and to the European Union. The document expected to come out of the meeting of the Commission for Africa aims at making relations between Africa and the industrial countries to be based on partnership. In a press briefing they gave prior to the meeting, five members of the Commission said the rich countries should give equal attention to Africa as they gave to victims of the tsunami disaster in Asia. The situation of African people is worse than those of the tsunami victims, the Tanzanian Commissioner Anakajumulu Tibayjika said, adding the plights of Africans should also be heard. The General Assembly of the United Nations, in its meeting in September 2005, is expected to review the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which aims to halve absolute poverty by 2015, so that it could conform to the situation of Africa. The African Document which is expected to be finalized could facilitate the cancellation of most of the debts of African countries and the raising of the quality and quantity of development assistance to Africa. Although Africa has been registering growth in trade and investment, the growth is still insignificant compared to other countries of the world, according to a document issued by the Commission. Meanwhile, British friends of Ethiopia said they would work towards changing the image of Ethiopia through the promotion of tourism. Members of Ethiopian Think-tank group, a forum of friends of Ethiopia, said while conferring with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi at the Ethiopian Embassy in London that they have also been actively engaged in the support of Ethiopia in the education and health sector. The Britons have also expressed desire to contribute to Ethiopia's social development by employing their expertise. The Ethiopian Think-tank group, which comprises renowned film actors, journalists and individuals, was established in November last year, under the initiative of Miss Renberg, in collaboration with the Embassy of Ethiopia in London. Among the prominent Britons, the special advisor of the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization had come up with a plan that would enable boost the tourism industry in Ethiopia, Ethiopian Ambassador to British, Fisseha Tegegn said. The plan has gained the acceptance of the Ethiopian Government, according to Ambassador Fisseha. The implementation of the plan would bring about significant change in the tourism sector of Ethiopia. The woman who initiated the establishment of the forum has so far sent more than half a million educational books to Ethiopia, Ambassador Fisseha said. Some members of the group are also working to improve the curriculum of health institutions in Ethiopia, he said. Prime Minister Meles has commended the goodwill and support of the Britons and said the Ethiopian Government would provide the necessary support to their efforts. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has met and held discussions with members of the Ethiopian National Consensus Forum and the Ethiopian business community in Britain on a range of national issues. The Ethiopians have forwarded a number of questions related to food security, agricultural produces market, water resources development and investment, for which Prime Minister Meles gave answers, according to Ambassador Fisseha. Board prepares new code of conduct for election executives ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) says it has prepared a new code of conduct for election executives. Civic Education and Training Senior Expert with NEBE, Mekonnen Wondimu told ENA yesterday that the new code of conduct was initially extracted from the previous election execution procedure. The experiences of various countries electoral institutions have been incorporated in the document, he said. Mekonnen said the idea is to enable election executives to strictly observe the electoral law and execution procedures. It would also help election executives to discharge their responsibilities in an efficient, independent, impartial and transparent manner, he added. East African countries found power pool, select Addis HQ by Yemane Terefe ADDIS ABABA - The Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP) which includes nine countries of the region, was officially founded yesterday selecting Addis Ababa as its headquarter and Kenyan Mine and Energy Minister chairperson for the coming one year. Speaking at the founding ceremony of EAPP at the ECA, State Minister of Infrastructure Haile Assegide said that development of a regional power market requires the establishment of a power pool to realize the potential benefits within individual country networks to the mutual economic advantage of all the interconnected countries. The State Minister also said as the World Energy Council 2003 report shows, the region has technically exploitable hydropower potential of approximately 1,900 kwh/yr, which constitutes about 16 per cent of world hydropower potential. Out of this potential, 60 per cent is concentrated in nine East African countries, the major share being the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. However, only 2.3 per cent had been exploited so far, he added. According to Haile, cooperation in establishing cross-border interconnection and associated electricity exchange in Africa can be tracedback to 1950's. "However, there is very limited power trading between Eastern African countries, such as Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. In the coming few years, Ethiopia will interconnect with Sudan and Djibouti," the State Minister said. He further indicated that the regional energy cooperation and integration is one of the most promising and profitable options to further develop the East African Region energy sector. He added that the benefits of power trade among countries is related to cost saving in the supply of power as compared to the cost of independent expansion of national power systems. Mr. Mrastus J.O Mwencha, Secretary General of COMESA, on his part said that when countries act jointly they can realize economies of scale and enhance regional and international competitiveness of export products. He added that the presence of regional ministers to officially sign the inter-governmental MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) of the East African Power Pool demonstrates the resolve of the governments of Eastern Africa to provide a forum for regional solutions to energy problems which face the energy market in the region. The member countries of EAPP that signed the 14-article document are: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. Ethiopia exerting rigorous efforts to get out of poverty: D/Speaker ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples' Representatives says rigorous efforts were in progress in a bid to extricate Ethiopia from poverty and ensure food security. Dr. Petros Olango and members of Women's Affairs Standing Committee with the House held talks yesterday with female MPs in the Swedish Parliament. The establishment of democratic system would speed up efforts being made to lift up the country from poverty and ensure food security, the deputy speaker said on the occasion. He said the democratization system in the country is being pursued with the establishment of appropriate institutions. All segments of the society are involved in the building up of the democratic system; he said adding capacity building activities are in progress in all sectors. He said a new constitution has been put in place following the overthrow of the military government 14 years ago. Preparations were in full swing to conduct national elections across the country for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Councils, he said, adding, numerous opposition parties as well as the ruling EPRDF were running in the elections. The number of opposition parties in the current parliament was very small, Petros said, adding their seats could rise depending on the outcome of the upcoming national elections. The ruling party has decided to raise the ratio of women candidates to 30 per cent in the May 2005 national elections, Dr. Pertros said. Participation of citizens in elections was increasing, he said adding over 23 million voters registered for the upcoming elections. Members of the Sweden parliament raised various questions, among others, land administration in the country, women's ratio in the current parliament, primary education and health coverage. Dr. Petros said that land is a public property administered by the government, yet the farmers would be issued with land holding guarantee certificates. The farmer has the right to give out the land in rent, pass to a third party as well as other rights, he said. Females constitute 7.1 percent in the current parliament, he said, adding the figure would rise after the next elections. Primary education coverage has reached 70 per cent, Petros said, adding the gap in ratio of male and female in terms of access to education was narrowing owing to the special focus given to female students. Members of the Swedish parliament on their part briefed their counterparts. They said they were drawn from four different political parties in parliament. Female constitute 47 per cent in the Swedish parliament and seven parties have shared the seats in the parliament, they said. The Social Democratic Party is the ruling party in the country with 144 seats, according to the parliamentarians. ================================ Pol.ethiopia Feb. 25,2005 ================== __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From polethiopia at yahoo.com Mon Feb 28 16:00:07 2005 From: polethiopia at yahoo.com (Political Ethiopia) Date: Wed May 23 11:06:16 2007 Subject: [Pol.ethiopia] News Items Message-ID: <20050228140007.82694.qmail@web53303.mail.yahoo.com> February 26, 2005 Tony Blair Africa Commission work successful: Meles ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who is one of Tony Blair's Commission for Africa, has described the commission's work as successful and constructive. Joined in a press briefing by fellow Commissioners at the end of the Commission's 3rd meeting in London Thursday Meles said that the document prepared by the Commission to help alleviate problems in the African continent. The meeting endorsed the document, which serves as a springboard to devise a mechanism to alleviate problems in Africa. The implementation of the priorities identified in the document, Meles said, will determine the continent's future. He called on the giant international media establishments, such as the BBC, to play their roles to make the issue of Africa to take a centre-stage in the international arena. According to Meles, if the international mass media give Africa the level of coverage they gave to the tsunami-hit Asia, the continent will for sure, receive enough attention to bring about change. Meles called on British Prime Ministry Tony Blair to pressurize the G8 group, into alleviating the problems of Africa. Tony Blair on his part said that the document will help Africa become a strong and prosperous continent. Debt cancellation for Africa, the creation of a more sound partnership between Africa and the rich nations, forging trade and investment partnership and the need to increase development aid to Africa were among the agenda discussed. Before having been endorsed, the document was tabled for discussions at a number of platforms including in America, Europe and Asia. Prime Minister Meles, who headed to London directly from Qatar where he paid a two-day official visit, returned home yesterday after attending the Commission for Africa meeting. Ministry says stepping up efforts crucial to secure economic benefits ADDIS ABABA - The Ministry of Information said there has been a steady growth in the number of investors engaged in various sectors since the launching of transparent, efficient and accountable service in all government institutions. According to the weekly statement the ministry issued yesterday, Ethiopia has a wide range of investment opportunities and there are vast untapped resources in the agriculture, construction, textile and other sectors to reward investors and benefit the country. The ever expanding and strengthening good relations between Ethiopia and countries of the world are among the vital factors attracting foreign investors, the statement said, adding that the country's amicable relations with others have been expedited as a result of the viable foreign policy. The efforts undertaken to consolidate sustainable peace, good governance and the government's commitment in establishing friendly ties with various countries have registered promising results, it said. The statement finally said that to wipe out poverty and backwardness from the country once and for all, it is imperative to strengthen and sustain the efficient, transparent and accountable service delivery. 55 political parties to contest upcoming elections ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The National Electoral Board (NEB) announced that 55 political parties would be contesting the upcoming national elections scheduled to be held in May 2005. Initiative Africa, a civic organization, on its part says that it would publicize candidature symbols in the form of posters. Existing and new political parties have been certified to contest the elections, Acting Registrar of Political Party Registration Office with the Board, Mekonnen Wondimu told ENA yesterday. He said 27 state and national political parties have fielded candidates for the elections. Some 31 parties have received 67 candidature symbols to contest for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives and State Council, he said. He further indicated that parties and candidates have launched electioneering via the mass media and other platforms. Meanwhile, Initiative Africa, a civic organization, has requested the Board to support the campaigning activity, the acting registrar said. The organization has announced plan to print posters bearing candidature symbols to enable the electorate know the contesting parties, Wondimu said. He said the Board would permit the organization the undertake the activity on condition that it would publicize the symbols of all political parties impartiality. The Board would facilitate conditions to enable the organization get candidature symbols of all political parties, he said. Wondimu said 17 new candidature symbols have been submitted to the Board by the political parties. Candidates contesting for seats in the HPR and State Council in the Gambella State have also begun election campaign, the States' Election Coordinator said. Ouchan Oukelo said Thursday that 91 party and independent candidates have begun canvassing for votes. He said that 85 of the candidates were fielded by the Gambella Peoples' Democratic Movement (GPDM) and the rest are independents. According to the Coordinator, 87 of the candidates would contest for seats in the State Council and for the rest for HPR. He said 12 of the candidates are women. Similarly, 97 party and independent candidates in Arsi Zone have begun electioneering, Zonal Election Office said. Arsi Zone Election Coordinator Asrat Haile told ENA yesterday that of the 97 candidates, 35 will contest for the State Council and the rest for HPR. According to the coordinator, some 35 women candidates have been conducting election campaign after receiving candidature IDs. Asrat said that the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization, All Ethiopian Unity Party, Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, Oromo Liberation National Party, Oromo Liberation Liberation Unity Front, Oromo Abo Liberation Front, Geda System Advancement Party and the Oromo National Congress have fielded 92 candidates at ten constituencies. Some five independent candidates have also launched election campaign, the coordinator added. Some 99 candidates who have received IDs to run for seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives or the State Council in the May 2005 elections have also launched election campaigning in Assosa Zone, Benshangul Gumuz State, the Zonal Election Coordinator said. One candidate complained of having been cancelled out of contention in the election. The Coordinator Asfaw Mammo said among the campaigners in nine said constituencies, 66 are fielded by the Benshangul-Gumuz Democratic Unity Front (BGDUF), All Ethiopia Unity Party (AEUP) and Ethiopian Democratic Party-Medhin (UEDP-Medhin) while 33 are private contenders. Meanwhile, Jamila Usman, an independent candidate contesting for a seat in the State Council in Assosa Constituency, appealed that she has been cancelled out after receiving candidature ID. Election Coordinator of the woreda's respective constituency Eshete Zeleke said she was cancelled out in line with the Electoral Law that says contenders in an election constituency should not exceed 12 and priority must be given to those representing political parties. He said, nine party candidates have thus passed on directly. Lot was cast to determine the three qualifiers out of the four independent candidates, which Jamila Usman was not lucky to win. February 27, 2005 Millennium Development Programme officially launched in Hawzen HAWZEN (ENA) - A five-year United Nation's Millennium Development Programme pilot project has been officially launched in Koraro kebele, Hawzen Woreda in Tigray State. Special advisor of UN's Secretary General and Millennium Development Programme Director, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs has officially announced the launching of the programme in the kebele as a pilot project. Discussing with residents of the kebele, Sachs indicated UN's commitment to support and work with the public in areas of food security, health, safe water, irrigation, and other infrastructural facilities. The Director said the project includes school-feeding programmes expansion of internet service facilities in schools and providing the necessary health service facilities for mothers and children. With full determination and participation of the public tangible results would be observed in these areas in two years period, he added. The Director, Federal and State government officials and Millenium Development Programme officials have visited the health post, Primary school and rivers in the kebele. Kebele administrator, Birhanu Assefa on his part expressed the readiness of the public to contribute their share towards the achievement of the development plans. Similarly, Chief of the Tigray State Tsegaye Berehe has urged the public to work hard for the realization of the programmes. State Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Belay Ejigu, Tigray State Council Speaker Dr. Solomon Enquai and other officials attended the launching ceremony. Union secures 43 mln. birr income ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - The Oromia Coffee Farmers' Cooperatives' Union said it has secured 43 million birr income through exporting coffee to the international market over the past six months. Union Manager, Tadesse Meskela said the union has exported 1,900 tonnes of coffee during the stated period. According to the Manager, the past Ethiopian budget year the union has secured 45.3 million birr in sales from exports of 2,500 tons of coffee to the international market. He said the union has secured only 8 million birr in profits due to lingering coffee price fall. The Manager said the farmers and cooperatives under the union have been highly encouraged with the certificate the union received as organic coffee producer. In a related development, the manager said, the union has established a project in Holland which will be officially launched on March 17, 2005. The project would have significant role in promoting Ethiopian coffee to consumers abroad, as the company would engage in packing and supplying Ethiopian coffee to different institutions and companies in Holland, Tadesse said. The union according to Tadesse has planned to open 17 coffee shops in England in the next three years with the support of Green Development Foundation, a non-governmental organization engaged in supporting farmers. The union has so far constructed four schools, two health posts and two potable warier facilities in Abaya and Bulehora woredas of Borena Zone. The union had exported 126 tonnes of coffee and obtained only 2.2 million birr when it was established in 1991 E.C, the manager recalled. Currently, the manager said the union has 74 member cooperatives with nine million birr aggregate capital and over 50,000 hectares of coffee plantation. University students air grievances ADDIS ABABA (ENA) - Students' council representatives of a number of universities in the country have complained that they were denied their constitutional right of casting votes in the campuses they pursue their education. The Students' council representatives told ENA Friday that though the Electoral Law stipulates that any citizen that lived in a given locality for six months, has the right to elect the very right, which they said, the Board denied them. According to the council representatives, every student has taken a firm stand on the need to cast votes at his/her respective campuses for candidates of their choice. The students have threatened to file charges against the Electoral Board should it fail to respect what they said is their constitutional right. They have also urged the Board to apologize for its negligence. The Board earlier announced that if facilitated ways to enable students of higher learning who have come too far away from home to return to their respective constituencies to cast votes. ============================= Pol.ethiopia Feb.28,2005 =================== __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com